A clinico-epidemiological profile of Parkinson’s disease patients attending the tertiary care hospital of hilly state of North India: a hospital based cross-sectional study

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, with male preponderance. It is associated with both motor and non-motor symptoms, which affect quality of life in elderly people. Due to paucity of studies on its epidemiology and prevalence, this disease needs assiduity and further exploration.Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in the tertiary care hospital, among 45 patients diagnosed with PD.Results: The mean age of the participants was 61.17±12.30 years, with male to female ratio was 2:1. The average age of onset of PD was 57.4±12.30 years. Tremor was the most common initial symptom (68.88%) followed by rigidity (20%) and bradykinesia. Most of the patients (86.66%) had progressive symptoms, and 69% had unilateral involvement of limbs.Conclusions: The profile of patients with PD in Himachal Pradesh is similar to that from other populations in India and other developing countries. However, the dearth of studies and data pertaining to PD, invigorate the need to explore this neurodegenerative disorder to comprehend its clinic-epidemiological profile in our state.