Risk of Parkinson’s in patients with new onset anxiety – implications for practice

In this episode, we talk to Juan Carlos Bazo-Alvarez, a Senior Research Fellow within the Department of Primary Care and Population Health at University College London. 

Title of paper: Risk of Parkinson’s disease in people with New Onset Anxiety over 50 years - Incidence and Associated Features

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0423

Presence of anxiety is known to be increased in the prodrome of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigated the risk of developing PD in people with anxiety compared with those without anxiety, accounting for a number of confounding variables. The results suggest that there is a strong association between anxiety and later diagnosis of PD in patients aged ≥50 years who present with a new diagnosis of anxiety. This provides evidence for anxiety as a prodromal presentation of PD.