Long-term survival of Parkinson's disease: a population-based study.

ABSTRACT

In a set of a population- based study, long-term survival of 59 prevalent PD patients was compared with that of individuals free of neurological diseases matched 12 by sex and age of enrolment. PD individuals, compared with reference subjects, showed a two-fold increased risk of death (OR 2.1; 95 % CI 1.4, 3.1). Among causes of death, pneumonia and cachexia were significantly more frequent among PD patients than among individuals free of neurological diseases. We confirmed in a long-term follow-up study an increased mortality among PD individuals compared with that of the general population.