Objective: To evaluate whether the survival of patients with Parkinson dise
ase (PD) is shorter than that of the general population.
Design: Survival was investigated in a cohort of patients with PD previousl
y identified during a population-based prevalence study (prevalence day, No
vember 1, 1987; reference follow-up date, October 31, 1995). The survival o
f patients with PD was compared with that of a control sample randomly sele
cted from the same population (2 controls for each case, matched for age, s
ex, and study municipality). The causes of death in the 2 groups were also
compared. Both univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed
to investigate the association with disease-related variables.
Setting: A door-to-door 2-phase prevalence survey performed in 3 Sicilian m
unicipalities.
Patients: Fifty-nine patients with PD and 118 controls.
Results: Patients with PD showed a high risk of death (relative risk, 2.3;
95% confidence interval, 1.60-3.39). Greater age at November 1, 1987, high
Hoehn-Yahr score, and lack of levodopa therapy were associated with a lower
survival on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis confirmed the assoc
iation between shorter survival among patients with PD and greater age on N
ovember 1, 1987. One-way analysis of variance indicated a different effect
of levodopa therapy according to age. Multivariate analysis did not confirm
this finding. Pneumonia was the cause of death most frequently associated
with PD.
Conclusion: This study indicates that patients with PD have a shorter survi
val time than the general population.