United States: Academic research shows Parkinson’s disease cases will increase dramatically to 25.2 million by 2050 because of worldwide population aging.
Future research in The BMJ shows that Parkinson’s disease numbers will reach 25.2 million patients by 2050.
Urgent Need for New Treatments
“An urgent need exists for future research to focus on the development of novel drugs, gene engineering techniques, and cell replacement therapies that are aimed at modifying the course of the disease and improving patients’ quality of life,” concluded a team led by senior researcher Tao Feng with the Beijing Tiantan Hospital Center for Movement Disorders in China, as reported by HealthDay.
Brain cells responsible for movement start to die and become damaged in Parkinson’s disease patients as reported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
🌍 Parkinson’s cases expected to double by 2050, reaching 25M.
— Thomas MORE (@ThomaMore) March 6, 2025
➔ Main drivers include population growth and ageing.
➔ Developing nations will see the most significant increase.
The trend emphasizes the global health challenge ahead. #Parkinsons #GlobalHealth… pic.twitter.com/OfEjA54WSu
Understanding Parkinson’s Disease
The death of these cells causes people to gradually lose their ability to manage body movements. The disease can lead to uncontrollable shaking across the body and stiffness in addition to equilibration and movement coordination challenges.
According to the NIA most people develop Parkinson’s disease after reaching 60 years of age.
Research background material reveals that Parkinson’s disease stands as the world’s second-biggest neurodegenerative condition while its prevalence and disability rates expand at the highest speed.
Global Surge in Cases
Scientists studied ongoing disease rate observations from global research projects to estimate Parkinson’s disease trends for the future. The study researchers gathered data from 195 countries and territories.
Experimental designs from their team forecasted Parkinson’s disease cases would expand to 112% during the next half-century.
The principal force driving this increase in Parkinson’s disease cases will be population aging, according to study results, which show it causes 89% of new cases.
Scientists predict western Sub-Saharan Africa will experience the largest surge in Parkinson’s disease cases because their patient numbers will jump by 292%, according to research data.
The statistics show central and eastern Europe will experience a 28% increase in Parkinson’s cases. According to researchers, the declining numerical growth of those nations and the minimal impact of aging populations play a role.
The ratio between men and women developing Parkinson’s disease is expected to grow wider across the next few decades starting from 1.46 in 2021 up to 1.64 in 2050, as reported by HealthDay.
The study projections have the potential to support health research development and guide policy decisions as well as resource allocation according to the researchers.