Significant worsening of physical and mental symptoms of Parkinson disease was shown in a meta-analysis of diverse patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, with those of lower-income countries shown to be exceptionally vulnerable.
A high prevalence of physical and mental worsening of Parkinson disease (PD) was shown during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which socioeconomic status may significantly mediate risk. Results were published this week in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
As COVID-19 has contributed to decreased accessibility of care and feelings of anxiety, isolation, and insecurity among patients with chronic disabilities worldwide, researchers note that those with PD are especially vulnerable to pandemic-related declines in health.
Prior research has found that patients with PD are already at greater risk of mood-related disorders, with the negative effects of the pandemic potentially increasing risks of adverse physical and mental well-being outcomes.
“There is a need to identify subgroups of patients with PD that may require more attention and support. It is currently not clear if biological sex, race and ethnicity, nationality, and socioeconomic status influence patients’ responses to the pandemic,” said the study authors. “These factors may also not be adequately captured by single studies or in specific populations.”
They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with PD without COVID-19 infection. Studies published between 2020 and 2022 from the Medline and Embase databases were examined for the review, with random-effects pooling of estimates and meta-regression utilized to evaluate worsening of symptoms, including physical activity, exercise (either aerobic or resistance training), PD-related variables, balance, mood, depression, anxiety, cognition, and sleep.
Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the effects of study characteristics and patient demographics on the study outcomes. A total of 27 studies consisting of 13,878 patients with PD from North/South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa were included in the analysis.
Findings showed an overall high prevalence of decreased physical activity and exercise, and worsening of motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms (17%–56%). The subgroup analyses further showed several factors to be associated with greater burden of these effects:
Researchers concluded that the study findings can help guide planning and optimize policy guidelines for pandemic preparedness. “Specific measures to address at-risk subsets of PD (especially those from low-income locations) will ameliorate the physical and mental burden associated with current and future pandemics,” they added.
Reference
Mai AS, Yong JH, Tan BJW, Xiao B, Tan EK. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with Parkinson’s disease: A meta-analysis of 13,878 patients. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. Published online September 6, 2022. doi:10.1002/acn3.51616
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Poor Well-Being Scores Linked to Early Treatment Stoppage in Multiple Myeloma
March 27th 2024Investigators used the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General General Physical Wellbeing Scale to collect data on patient-reported treatment-related adverse effects, to provide clinicians guidance on predicting risk of early treatment discontinuation among ECOG-ACRIN E1A11 trial participants.
Read More
Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
Listen
The Pivotal Role of Payers in Improving Health Equity, Maternal Health Care in the US
March 26th 2024A presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health's 2024 Women’s Health Summit discussed how payers, including employers and public entities, can strategically influence health care purchasing to prioritize maternal health and equity.
Read More
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Poor Well-Being Scores Linked to Early Treatment Stoppage in Multiple Myeloma
March 27th 2024Investigators used the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General General Physical Wellbeing Scale to collect data on patient-reported treatment-related adverse effects, to provide clinicians guidance on predicting risk of early treatment discontinuation among ECOG-ACRIN E1A11 trial participants.
Read More
Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
Listen
The Pivotal Role of Payers in Improving Health Equity, Maternal Health Care in the US
March 26th 2024A presentation at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health's 2024 Women’s Health Summit discussed how payers, including employers and public entities, can strategically influence health care purchasing to prioritize maternal health and equity.
Read More
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512