Motor/Nonmotor Symptoms and Progression in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Prevalence and Risks in a Longitudinal Study

We previously assessed the prevalence and risks of motor/nonmotor symptoms in a large sample of Japanese patients with Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we longitudinally assessed the prevalence and risk of motor/nonmotor symptoms, changes in treatment, disease progression, and death in patients with Parkinson's disease. We enrolled 1,227 patients diagnosed and treated at our hospital in Tokyo at first evaluation. We were able to follow-up 445 patients until the second evaluation, 7.4 years later. Using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and the Cox proportional-hazards model in 1,227 patients, motor/nonmotor symptoms were analyzed in association with the following events: pain, wearing-off, camptocormia, psychosis, orthostatic hypotension, pneumonia, tube feeding, modified Hoehn and Yahr stages (H–Y) 3 and 4 of the on state, and death. The mean age (standard deviation) at the first evaluation was 67.2 (9.9) years, while the mean ages at onset and disease duration were 57.8 (11.7) years and 9.3 (6.6) years, respectively. The mean H–Y of the on state was 2.7 (1.1) at the first evaluation. Age at onset and duration of levodopa use decreased the hazard ratios (HRs) (0.968 and 0.910, respectively) for wearing-off. Female sex increased the HRs (1.414) for wearing-off and decreased the HRs for orthostatic hypotension (0.540) and pneumonia (0.510). Older age at onset increased the HR for psychosis (1.035), orthostatic hypotension (1.033), H–Y 3 (1.048) and 4 (1.071), pneumonia (1.123), tube feeding (1.140), and death (1.095). Early onset of orthostatic hypotension itself increased the HR for numerous events, especially for death (0.893). Our results indicated that age, sex, and some nonmotor symptoms may predict many Parkinson's disease-related events. In addition, these data may provide a useful reference for the clinical course of Parkinson's disease.