Comorbidities in Parkinson's disease – The results from national epidemiological study cosmos

Abstract

The burden of comorbidities in Parkinson's disease (PD) is significant. They decrease patients' quality of life and also affect a life expectancy. The aim of our study was to disclose prevalence and impact of comorbidities among patients with PD in our population. In a multi-center, cross-sectional, observational study COSMOS, clinicians gathered demographical and clinical data from 737 patients diagnosed with idiopathic PD. From overall participants, 53.50% had at least one psychiatric comorbidity; the most prevalent were depression (26%), sleep disorders (23%), cognitive impairment (13%), anxiety-related disorders (12%) and apathy (7%). In addition, 93.50% had at least one nonpsychiatric comorbidity; the most prevalent were hypertension (68%), ischemic heart disease (43%), musculoskeletal disorders (39%), high blood lipids (33%) and diabetes (20%). The prevalence of both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric comorbidities increased with PD progression (p < .001, and p = .001, respectively). Adequate treatment of comorbidities was connected with significantly better effectiveness of therapy (OR 2.781, 95% CI 1.070–7.229, p = .036). With PD progression, the number of both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric comorbidities is on the increase. If not treated properly, they lead to deterioration of response to therapy. That's why is essential to search for any comorbidity to provide patients with early and adequate therapy to avoid further worsening of quality of life.