Parkinson's in Hesse: City-country gaps and gender differences unveiled!

Parkinson's in Hesse: City-country gaps and gender differences unveiled!

In Hessen, a new study by the AOK shows that the risk of developing Parkinson's depends heavily on age and place of residence. According to the AOK data, older men in particular have the highest risk of suffering from this neurodegenerative disease. In 2022, about 0.62 percent of the Hessian population was affected by Parkinson's, which is a decline of 0.68 percent in 2017.

The study reveals significant differences in the distribution of Parkinson's cases between counties, sexes and age groups. The “Health Atlas” of the AOK Hessen shows a strong urban-country gradient: in rural areas, the Parkinson's quota is higher than in urban regions. In the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district, the prevalence is 0.9 percent, in Vogelsbergkreis 0.87 percent and in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district at 0.83 percent. In contrast, urban areas such as Frankfurt (0.46 percent) and Wiesbaden are closer to the national average or below.

influence of gender and age

particularly emphasized that the disease is strongly age -dependent; From the age of 60, the rate of diseases increases significantly. In Hesse, men (0.69 percent) develop Parkinson's more often than women (0.56 percent). This difference is attributed to hormonal and genetic factors. Parkinson's is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by the death of nerve cells in the brain.

The AOK also reports that new biomarkers enable early detection of the disease even before symptoms occur. For those affected, there are targeted therapies that enable individual and effective treatment. Patients and relatives also find support in self-help groups, for example the German Parkinson's association.

For further insights into the study and the background to Parkinson's in Hesse, West-Ost-Medien