TOPLINE:

Death rates from Parkinson’s disease (PD) among US adults aged 65 years or older declined in 2024 after a steady rise from 2014 to 2021, new CDC data showed. The highest mortality rates were observed in men, White non-Hispanic adults, and adults living in Utah, Kansas, Nebraska, Maine, and Oregon.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) analyzed data from the National Vital Statistics System in the US, accessed via CDC WONDER, to evaluate death rates among adults with PD aged 65 years or older from 2014 to 2024.
• Age-adjusted death rates were calculated using the direct method, with rates calculated per 100,000 of the standard US population from the year 2000.
• The investigators examined variations in PD mortality by sex, age group (65-74 years, 75-84 years, and 85 years or older), race and Hispanic origin (White non-Hispanic, Hispanic, Asian non-Hispanic, Black non-Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic), and state of residence.

TAKEAWAY:

• Between 2014 and 2021, the age-adjusted PD death rate increased from 57.2 to 76.3 before declining to 72.0 in 2024 (P < .05 for both trends).
• PD death rates increased with age: 18.5 among adults aged 65-74 years, 97.2 among those aged 75-84 years, and 227.0 among those aged 85 years or older. Men had higher death rates than women across all age groups (P < .05 for all).
• White non-Hispanic adults aged 65 years or older with PD had the highest death rate (81.7), followed by Hispanic (47.8), Asian non-Hispanic (43.9), Black non-Hispanic (37.7), and American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic (35.1) adults (P < .05 for all).
• The age-adjusted PD mortality rates varied by the state of residence. States with the lowest rates were New York (47.7), Alaska (49.5), the District of Columbia (51.5), Wyoming (54.8), and Hawaii (55.0). The highest mortality rates were reported in Utah (102.1), Kansas (90.6), Nebraska (85.7), Maine (85.0), and Oregon (84.2).

IN PRACTICE:

“Overall and for both men and women, death rates increased from 2014 through 2021 and were lower in 2024 than in 2021. Men had higher death rates from Parkinson’s disease overall and in each age group. White adults had higher death rates from Parkinson’s disease than Hispanic, Asian, Black, and American Indian and Alaska Native adults,” the investigators of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Ellen A. Kramarow, PhD, National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Analysis and Epidemiology, Hyattsville, Maryland. It was published online on June 4 as an NCHS Data Brief.

LIMITATIONS:

The misclassification of race and Hispanic origin on death certificates may have affected the accuracy of reported racial and ethnic disparities. The study relied on death certificate data, which may have had inconsistencies in reporting the underlying causes of death. Additionally, the analysis was limited to adults aged 65 years or older, thereby limiting the generalizability of the findings.

DISCLOSURES:

The investigators reported having no information on funding or relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.