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The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease
Ben-Shlomo Y, Darweesh S, Llibre-Guerra J, Marras C, San Luciano M, Tanner C.. Lancet (London, England), 2024-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease shows marked variations in time, geography, ethnicity, age, and sex. Internationally, prevalence has increased over and above demographic changes. There are several potential reasons for this increase, including the decline in other competing causes of death. Whether incidence is increasing, especially in women or in many low-income and middle-income countries where there is a shortage of high-quality data, is less certain. Parkinson's disease is more common in older people and men, and a variety of environmental factors have been suggested to explain why, including exposure to neurotoxic agents. Within countries, there appear to be ethnic differences in disease risk, although these differences might reflect differential access to health care. The cause of Parkinson's disease is multifactorial, and involves genetic and environmental factors. Both risk factors (eg, pesticides) and protective factors (eg, physical activity and tendency to smoke) have been postulated to have a role in Parkinson's disease, although elucidating causality is complicated by the long prodromal period. Following the establishment of public health strategies to prevent cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia are gaining a deserved higher priority. Multipronged prevention strategies are required that tackle population-based primary prevention, high-risk targeted secondary prevention, and Parkinson's disease-modifying therapies for tertiary prevention. Future international collaborations will be required to triangulate evidence from basic, applied, and epidemiological research, thereby enhancing the understanding and prevention of Parkinson's disease at a global level.
Key findings
- The cause of Parkinson's disease is multifactorial, and involves genetic and environmental factors.
- Both risk factors (eg, pesticides) and protective factors (eg, physical activity and tendency to smoke) have been postulated to have a role in Parkinson's disease, although elucidating causality is complicated by the long prodromal period.
- Following the establishment of public health strategies to prevent cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia are gaining a deserved higher priority.
- Multipronged prevention strategies are required that tackle population-based primary prevention, high-risk targeted secondary prevention, and Parkinson's disease-modifying therapies for tertiary prevention.
- Future international collaborations will be required to triangulate evidence from basic, applied, and epidemiological research, thereby enhancing the understanding and prevention of Parkinson's disease at a global level.
Why it matters
This review states that the cause of Parkinson's disease is multifactorial and involves genetic and environmental factors, with risk factors such as pesticides and protective factors such as physical activity and tendency to smoke postulated but causality complicated by the long prodromal period. It notes that chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia are gaining higher public health priority, with multipronged prevention strategies mentioned, but reports no treatment or cure for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Lancet (London, England)) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | The Lancet: journal h-index 1,205 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 949 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 237.2 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 201.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 867 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Caroline M. Tanner: h-index 99 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38245248) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01419-8
- PubMed: 38245248
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ben-Shlomo, Y., Darweesh, S., Llibre-Guerra, J., Marras, C., San Luciano, M., & Tanner, C. (2024). The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Lancet (London, England). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01419-8
Vancouver
Ben-Shlomo Y, Darweesh S, Llibre-Guerra J, Marras C, San Luciano M, Tanner C. The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Lancet (London, England). 2024. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01419-8. PMID: 38245248.
BibTeX
@article{benshlomo2024-38245248,
author = {Ben-Shlomo, Y. and Darweesh, S. and Llibre-Guerra, J. and Marras, C. and San Luciano, M. and Tanner, C.},
title = {{The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease}},
journal = {Lancet (London, England)},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01419-8},
pmid = {38245248},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01419-8}
}
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