Biomarkers of Physical and Mental Health for Prediction of Parkinson's Disease: A Population-Based Study from 15 European Countries

Early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is critical for optimal treatment. However, the predictive potential of physical and mental health in PD is poorly characterized. We evaluated the potential of multiple demographic, physical, and mental factors in predicting the future onset of PD in older adults aged 50 years or older from 15 European countries. Individual study participants were followed over four waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) from 2013–2020. Of 57,980 study participants, 442 developed PD during the study period. We identified male sex and advancing age from the sixth decade of life onward as significant predictors of future PD. Among physical factors, a low handgrip strength (HGS; men