The Prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease in an Area of North Tyneside in the North-East of England

OBJECTIVES: UK prevalence studies have demonstrated prevalence rates for Parkinson's disease (PD) of 108 to 164 cases per 100,000. we aimed to calculate the prevalence of PD in an area of the North-East of England. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case finding methodology was used to identify cases in North Tyneside with a population of 108,597 at the 2001 UK census. RESULTS: 161 cases were identified giving crude and age-adjusted prevalence estimates of 148 cases (95% CI 124-174) and 139 cases (95% CI 116-162) per 100,000, respectively. The mean age was 74.1 years (range 44-96 years) with mean disease duration of 5.6 years. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PD in North Tyneside is comparable with that of the rest of the UK. The prevalence of PD in the UK appears not to have changed greatly over the last 30 years.