To describe the prevalence of comorbid conditions, medication consumption and polypharmacy (> 3 drugs) in a cohort of PD patients and compare to a control group.

A wide spectrum of comorbidities is associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, who don’t only take many medication for motor and non-motor symptoms, but also for their associated conditions.

The data correspond to the baseline evaluation of the COPPADIS-2015 Study, an observational, descriptive, 5-year follow-up, multicenter, nationwide (Spain) study (Santos García et al. BMC Neurol 2016). A structured interview asked about comorbidities. Mood and neuropsychiatric symptoms were evaluated using BDI-II and NPI, respectively. In addition, the total number of drugs and pills per day were recorded.

689 PD patients (62.57±8.93 years old, 60.2% males) and 184 controls (61.43±7.66 years old, 50.5% males) were included. There were no differences between both groups in the percentage of smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmias and ischemic heart disease. Depression, pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms were significantly more prevalent in PD patients (p<0.0001). However, a significantly higher percentage of controls had a diagnosis of dyslipemia (39.7% vs 30.3%) (p=0.016). Total, parkinsonian, and non-parkinsonian medication consumption was higher in PD patients than controls both for the total number of daily drugs (PD patients 4.95±2.66, 2.44±1.10, 2.58±2.46; controls 2.03±2.37, 0.01±0.70, 2.03±2.36, respectively) (p<0.005) and for the total number of daily pills (PD patients 7.32±4.12, 4.65±2.82, 2.66±2.82; controls; 2.18±2.82, 0.005±0.07, 2.17±2.83, respectively) (p<0.005). The use of analgesics (24.4% vs 14.1%; p=0.003), and antidepressants (24.2% vs 11.4%; p<0.0001) were significantly more prevalent in PD patients than controls. Polypharmacy was significantly higher in PD patients (68.8%) than controls (22.83%)(p<0.0001).

Dyslipemia was more prevalent in controls; depression, pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms were more prevalent in PD patients. Polypharmacy was higher in PD patients, due to antiparkinsonian, analgesics and antidepressants drugs.