US EPA

2187953 

Journal Article 

Prevalence and incidence of Parkinson's disease in The Faroe Islands 

Wermuth, L; Bech, S; Petersen, MS; Joensen, P; Weihe, P; Grandjean, P 

2008 

Yes 

Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
ISSN: 0001-6314
EISSN: 1600-0404 

118 

2 

126-131 

English 

18294341 

10.1111/j.1600-0404.2007.00991.x 

WOS:000257699100008 

Objective - A study in The Faroe Islands in 1995 suggested a high prevalence of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) and total parkinsonism of 187.6 and 233.4 per 100,000 inhabitants respectively. Methods - Detailed case-finding methods 10 years later were used and a neurologist has verified the diagnosis. Results - The crude prevalence of IPD and total parkinsonism was 206.7 per 100,000 and 227.4 per 100,000 respectively. The age-adjusted prevalence is twice as high as data from Norway and Denmark. Age at initiation of treatment and the fatality rate did not explain the increased prevalence. During 1995-2005, the average annual incidence was 21.1 per 100,000 persons for Parkinson's disease, and 22.9 per 100,000 persons, if including atypical parkinsonism. Conclusion - The high prevalence was verified and linked to a high incidence. The cause of the high prevalence is unknown, but neurotoxic contaminants in traditional food may play a role in the pathogenesis in this population, perhaps jointly with genetic predisposition. 

epidemiology studies; concidence; Parkinson's disease; prevalence; the Faroe Islands