Actionable steps to address dramatic increases in Parkinson disease (PD) incidence, as well as interventions for the management of disease burden were some of the topics covered in the top 5 most-viewed PD articles published on AJMC.com.
Here are the top 5 most-read PD articles of 2022.
5. Stakeholders List 6 Actionable Steps to Ameliorate Global Disparities in Parkinson Disease
Amid a dramatic increase in PD cases and associated cost-related burden and potential health service strain, researchers published a special communication providing actionable steps for stakeholders worldwide to address global disparities in PD. Advocacy and awareness; prevention and risk reduction; diagnosis, treatment, and care; caregiver support; and research were listed among the actionable steps.
PD is the fastest growing neurological disorder worldwide, estimated to have resulted in 5.8 million disability-adjusted life-years and 329,000 deaths in 2019, increases of 81% and more than 100%, respectively, since 2000.
4. Healthy Diet, Exercise Linked With Reduced Mortality Risk in Parkinson Disease
A study showed that patients with PD who reported greater diet quality and physical activity levels had a lower rate of all-cause mortality than those reporting poor diet quality and lack of physical activity. Participant data were derived from 2 large US cohorts to assess the association of prediagnosis and postdiagnosis overall diet quality, assessed by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and physical activity, measured via metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours per week.
Compared with patients of the lowest AHEI quartile, indicating poor diet quality, those of the highest AHEI quartile were associated with 31% and 43% reduced mortality risks for prediagnosis and postdiagnosis analyses, respectively. Similar results were observed when comparing patients of the lowest quartile of cumulative mean MET hours per week vs the highest quartile.
3. Safinamide May Reduce Nonmotor Symptoms in PD, Study Says
Safinamide, a monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor approved as an add-on treatment in PD for patients taking levodopa and carbidopa, was shown to significantly reduce nonmotor symptoms in patients with PD. After 6 months of safinamide 50 mg daily use, the researchers found significant improvement at the 6-month mark in interest, motivation, apathy, fatigue, and urinary symptoms, with neuropsychiatric assessment also showing a significant decrease in fatigue and apathy scores; motor assessment revealed a significant reduction in the total wake-up time spent in the OFF phase.
No change was observed in global cognitive functions at 6 months or in pain scores with safinamide use. The researchers said more studies are needed to confirm findings.
2. Deep Brain Stimulation Shown to Improve Anxiety, Depression in PD
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown efficacy for motor symptoms in advanced PD, and findings of a study show it may also prove effective for the management of nonmotor symptoms. An estimated 30% to 40% of patients with PD experience stress-related neuropsychiatric symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are known to cause a substantial impact on quality of life. Patients with PD who underwent DBS of the subthalamic nucleus showed improved rates in symptoms of anxiety and depression that grew at each follow-up visit.
1. Genetic Risk Scores for Alzheimer Disease May Have Implications for Parkinson Disease
Genetic risk scores (GRS) and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) may also have implications for outcomes of patients with PD, according to a study. Findings showed that higher GRS for AD are associated with cognitive declines in patients with PD, while higher GRS for PD signify an increased risk of PD, albeit with slower clinical progression after diagnosis. Lower baseline CSF α-synuclein was also independently associated with an increased risk of PD.
