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Parkinsonism death rates by race, sex, and geography

Neuroepidemiology Research Program and Neurology Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Departments of Neurology and of Community and Family Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine (Dr. Kurtzke), Washington, DC; formerly Applied Biometrics Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, HSMHA, DHEW (Mr. Goldberg), Rockville, MD.

Age-adjusted death rates for Parkinson's disease (PD) in the United States from 1959 to 1961 demonstrated significantly lower rates for blacks than for whites, with rates for Oriental Americans the same as for whites. All racial groups showed a male preponderance. Both whites and blacks had a similar excess of PD death rates for residents of the four northern census regions of the US over their rates for the three southern regions. Within each region the sex and race differences remained. Thus, blacks in the US appear to be "protected" against PD, but they share the north: south gradient seen for whites. Race, sex, and geography would therefore seem to be independent risk factors for PD, providing further evidence that this may then be an acquired, environmental disease.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Kurtzke, Neurology Service 127, VA Medical Center, 50 Irving Street NW, Washington, DC 20422.

Received January 26, 1988. Accepted for publication in final form March 10, 1988.

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