Frequency and Risk Factors Association of Fall Among the Idiopathic Parkinson’s Patients in Jashore, Bangladesh

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neuro degenerative disease worldwide. Fall is common scenario in our day to day clinical practice among the older people but it is more common among the Parkinson’s people. The study was conducted to assess the frequency of fall and to ascertain the risk association among the idiopathic Parkinson’s patients. This observational study was conducted from July to December, 2018 in the district of Jashore, Bangladesh. Both the male and female clinically diagnosed as idiopathic Parkinson’s disease without taking antiparkinsonian medication were recruited in the study. Those having Parkinson’s disease due to stroke or secondary causes, orthostatic hypotension, taking anti parkinsonian drugs and the drugs may mimicking Parkinson’s disease were excluded from the study. A total 111 patients were analyzed of which 69.4% (N=77) male and 30.6% (N=34) female with the mean age of our participants was 66±10 years. The event of fall among the idiopathic Parkinson’s patients was 36.9% in the last one year where single, two and three or more episodes of fall were 20.7%, 3.6% and 12.6% respectively. No significant difference observed between faller and non-fallers among different demographic characteristics including age (p: 0.091) sex (p: 0.058) educational level (p: 0.235), occupational status (p: 0.220) and residency (p: 0.547). Experience of fall found more in high BMI (p: 0.037), hypertensive (p: 0.018), diabetic (p: 0.009) and in patients receiving multiple medications (p: 0.011). But duration of Parkinsonism (p: 0.835) does not increase fall. Based on this study, we have found that there is high frequency of fall among the idiopathic Parkinson’s patients. So, earlier identification and potential strategies to remove the risk factors may prevent falls and falls related events, thus finally reducing the morbidity and mortality in the Parkinson’s patients.