Researchers Seek Answers About Parkinson's Disease

Researchers at the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center and The University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health are studying the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD), a common neurologic disorder for which the cause(s) remain largely unknown. The prevalence of PD in the general population is approximately 0.3 percent (3 cases per 1,000), which increases with age up to 3 percent (30 cases per 1,000) in the 80-89 year age group. At the present time, crude estimates indicate that over 700,000 individuals in the U.S. have Parkinson's disease, a number likely to increase to more than 900,000 by 2010. As a consequence, the public health impact of PD on health services continues to expand.

In order to describe the impact of Parkinson's disease in a large, multi-ethnic community, neurologist Dr. Eugene C. Lai, epidemiologist Dr. Stephen C. Waring, and their research team are engaged in a four-year prospective study of newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease among residents of Harris County from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2001. This study is designed to determine the overall incidence of PD and the incidence of PD among the four predominant ethnic groups in Harris County (Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American). This information is vital for assessing the current impact and the future health care needs associated with this disease in Harris County.

"This study is quite unique in that Harris County has a very ethnically diverse population that many experts believe will reflect the nation's population in the next 25-30 years," says Dr. Lai. "If our research results allow us to determine how frequently PD occurs as well as identify individual risk factors, the entire U.S. health care system can be better prepared to manage PD in the future."

The researchers need the assistance of PD patients and their physicians in Harris County in order to identify all newly diagnosed cases of Parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease from 1998 to present. The research team can obtain the information needed from the patient's medical record by chart review. All abstracted Information will remain confidential without personal identification.

The researchers hope that this effort will provide important information regarding how frequently PD occurs in such a diverse population as well as a valuable resource for pursuing studies to determine the underlying cause(s) of PD with the ultimate goal of reducing individual risk for development of PD.

For additional information about this study or to report a newly diagnosed PD case, please call 713-791-1414, ext. 4003.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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