Ranked 2nd among neurodegenerative diseases following Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease progresses slowly and is characterized in particular by the progressive loss of neurons in the brain. The disease mainly affects people over the age of 60, with a prevalence that increases with age. It is 1.5 times more common in men than in women. It is a major cause of dependency, institutionalization and hospitalization. In 2020, nearly 26,000 new cases were diagnosed and just under 180,000 people were treated in France, with some heterogeneity in the territories.

Despite certain advances over the past few decades in understanding the burden of the disease and considering the symptoms associated with the disease, which may or may not be motor (fatigue, mood disorders, constipation, etc.), there is still much to be done to improve patient care and slow disease progression. Santé publique France follows the evolution of the number of people affected by Parkinson’s disease as well as their profile and makes its data available to promote research and prevention. The Agency reiterates the importance of early treatment and encourages healthcare professionals to remain vigilant with regard to symptoms in order to limit the impact of the disease on the quality of life of patients.

A disease that continues to progress over time due to the aging population

Parkinson’s disease: key figures 2020

As of December 31, 2020, 177,624 people were treated for Parkinson’s disease in France, i.e. around 1 in 380 people. During the year, 25,820 people were newly treated for this disease (i.e. 38 new cases per 100,000 people per year). The reported frequencies are in agreement with international data.
The number of cases and new cases increases continuously with age between 45 and 80 before reaching a peak between 85 and 89, then decreases. They are higher in men, whatever the age, and are reversed beyond 85 years. Among all patients, 15% are under the age of 65.

The increase over time has already been described in previous data (2010-2015) and was expected given the aging of the population.

Regional disparities

In 2020, the data show a certain heterogeneity in terms of incidence, particularly in the departments of Guyana, Indre, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vienne, and Lozère, which have higher frequencies than the rest of the territory. Given the multifactorial etiology of Parkinson’s disease, these geographic disparities have no obvious explanation. Specific studies would make it possible to better characterize the risk or protective factors of the disease.

A moderate impact on mortality and healthcare utilization in 2020 during the COVID-19 epidemic

7.6% of patients identified for Parkinson’s disease in 2020 died in the same year compared to 6.3% of deaths among patients identified in 2019 (i.e. +21% increase in the proportion of patients who died in the year). This increase may be explained by greater mortality related to the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with Parkinson’s disease, limiting the expected increase in prevalence forecasts. The observed decrease in incidence (-4.7% compared to 2019) might be associated with less use of care.

These data contribute to a better understanding of the burden of Parkinson’s disease in France and at regional and departmental level. The use of a constant methodology over time made it possible to describe the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic in this population. In addition, the use of the same methodology throughout France makes it possible to produce useful sub-national data to guide the offer of care or actions with patients, and to encourage epidemiological studies to characterize the factors of risk or protective factors for Parkinson’s disease.

The practice of regular physical activity to better fight once morest Parkinson’s disease

L’physical activity regularly helps to limit the onset of the disease. In patients, it seems to improve the course of the disease. Although the pathophysiological mechanisms remain to be elucidated, physical activity is currently the lifestyle intervention of most interest in Parkinson’s disease, in particular because of the other health benefits of physical activity. physical activity such as the improvement of muscular and cardiorespiratory capacities, the reduction of hypertension, the improvement of cognition, of sleep, the reduction of depression.