Patients with PD have a somewhat shorter life expectancy because of complications associated with swallowing problems (e.g., choking), intercurrent medical disorders or infection (e.g., pneumonia), and trauma due to falls.1-4
Estimates vary but, in one analysis, the mean duration of PD from onset to death was 13.7 years; the duration was shorter for those older at diagnosis.3
Certain ‘clinical milestones’ – falls, hallucinations, admittance to a long-term care facility, and dementia – have been associated with an increased risk of death and a cumulatively shorter duration to death.3,5
Several factors have been linked to PD prognosis, including genetics, younger age of onset, the tremor-dominant nature of the phenotype, race/ethnicity, various biomarkers, and clinical features including motor and non-motor symptoms.3,6-9
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