Systematic review and meta-analysis of the quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease

Background

Parkinson's disease can adversely affect the quality-of-life.

Aims

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of global literature on the quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease and examined the association between patient characteristics and quality-of-life.

Methods

We searched Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from January 2000 to January 2020. We included articles published in English that used the Parkinson's disease questionnaire to estimate the quality-of-life score and to identify the determinants of quality-of-life in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Results

In total, 41 studies with data from 4060 patients who had Parkinson's disease met our inclusion criteria. The overall quality-of-life score was 32.37 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 28.72-36.01). Age and duration of disease were inversely related to quality-of-life (P < 0.001). South America had the highest score on the questionnaire (39.73, 95% CI: 28.66-50.79, P < 0.001), indicating the lowest quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease. Of the 6 World Health Organization regions, the Eastern Mediterranean Region had the highest score (36.28, 95% CI: 23.44-49.13, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Although the global score in patients with Parkinson's disease indicated an acceptable quality-of-life, there is a possibility for improvements. The findings of this study can inform evidence-based strategies by health policymakers and clinicians to enhance the quality-of-life of patients with Parkinson's disease.