Parkinson's disease in Estonia

Altogether 270 patients formed the basis of the prevalence study on the prevalence day, January 1, 1996. The crude prevalence rate was 176 per 100,000. After the adjustment by age to the Estonian general population, the total prevalence was 152 per 100,000 population, 160 for urban and 139 for rural people, 154 for men and 153 for women. The age-specific prevalence increased from 22 per 100,000 population in age group 40-49 years up to 1232 per 100,000 population in age group 70-79 years. The mean age of PD patients was 71,4 years, the mean age at onset of the symptoms - 66,9 years.

The age-adjusted incidence over a 9-year period (1990 through 1998) was 15.2 per 100,000 population, 16.6 for urban and 12.6 for the rural group, 15.0 for men and 15.4 for women.

When comparing the results with other studies of Caucasian populations in Europe, the results are similar except for lower rates in rural population in Estonia. The slight urban preponderance suggests possible environmental causative factors to be of importance for PD, but also can be caused by the different referral habits in various segments of the population.