Parkinson's disease is a condition which damages the brain and reduces the ability to control body movements. The number of people with Parkinson's disease in the UK is increasing. Understanding factors which may affect the chance of Parkinson's disease is of national importance. Currently, the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the chance of developing Parkinson's disease is unclear. Previous research suggests that people who are overweight or obese may have a higher chance of developing Parkinson's disease than people with normal weight, while other studies show no such difference. We propose to study the relationship between BMI and the chance of developing Parkinson's disease among a large number of people in the UK with a BMI reading between 1992 and 2007. This study will provide information from a very large number of people over a long time which will be representative of the UK population. The findings will help inform strategies to prevent Parkinson's disease.
The prevalence of Parkinson's disease is increasing and establishing modifiable risk factors of Parkinson's disease is a national and global priority. Currently, the relationship between BMI and the risk of developing Parkinson's disease is unclear. Previous research suggests that people who are overweight or obese may have a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease than people with normal weight, while other studies show no such association. The objective of this study is therefore to investigate the association between BMI and risk of Parkinson's disease. A cohort will be derived from CPRD of people aged 40 years or older with a first BMI recording between 1992 and 2007. People with a prior record of Parkinson's disease or dementia will be excluded. Incidence rates of Parkinson's disease will be calculated for each BMI category using Poisson regression, adjusting for differences in patient characteristics. This study will provide information from a very large number of people with a sizeable amount of follow-up data which will be representative of the UK population. The findings will therefore provide important information to help clarify the relationship between BMI and Parkinson's disease to inform preventative strategies for Parkinson's disease.
The relationship between BMI and the chance of developing Parkinson's disease
Nawab Qizilbash - Chief Investigator - OXON Epidemiology - Spain
Ian Douglas - Collaborator - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM )
John Gregson - Collaborator - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM )
Kevin Wing - Collaborator - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM )
Michelle Johnson - Collaborator - Roche
Neil Pearce - Collaborator - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM )
Stephen Evans - Collaborator - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM )
Stuart Pocock - Collaborator - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ( LSHTM )