Characterization of the Epidemiological Profile of Patients With Parkinson's Disease Who Were Hospitalized due to SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection: A Portrait of 4 Years of the Pandemic in Brazil

TL;DR

This study shows that Parkinson's disease patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Brazil had higher mortality and ICU needs compared to other patients.

Contribution

The study provides new evidence that Parkinson's disease is an independent risk factor for mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Findings

Parkinson's patients had a 53.1% mortality rate, significantly higher than the overall 37.2%.

Parkinson's disease was confirmed as an independent mortality risk factor (OR = 1.277).

The mortality prediction model showed good discrimination with an AUC of 0.810.

Abstract

Individuals with Parkinson's disease may be more susceptible to severe coronavirus disease (COVID)‐19 outcomes due to advanced age and neurological and systemic impairments. However, the evidence on this association remains inconclusive. This study investigates the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in hospitalized patients with Parkinson's disease. Secondary data from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System were obtained from the OpenData‐SUS platform of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, covering March 2020 to March 2024. Variables included demographics, comorbidities, clinical signs and symptoms, ventilatory and intensive care unit (ICU) support, hospital stay, and outcomes. Missing data were imputed, and descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were conducted using 5% significance level. Among 1 725 690 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients in Brazil, 4907 (0.3%) had Parkinson's disease. Overall mortality was 37.2%, while mortality among Parkinson's patients reached 53.1% (OR = 1.920; 95% CI = 1.815–2.031), indicating a significantly higher risk. Death was independently associated with advanced age, male sex, low vaccination coverage, and cardiovascular or chronic respiratory diseases. Age strongly predicted both Parkinson's diagnosis and mortality. Parkinson's patients had higher ICU admission rates and more frequent need for invasive ventilation. Multivariable analysis confirmed Parkinson's disease as an independent mortality risk factor (OR = 1.277; 95% CI = 1.198–1.360). The logistic regression model for mortality demonstrated good discrimination, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.810 (95% CI = 0.809–0.811), indicating reliable performance in distinguishing patients who experienced the outcome. Parkinson's disease is associated with higher mortality and greater ICU needs in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients. These findings underscore the need for targeted prevention, close monitoring, and tailored clinical management for this vulnerable group, especially considering their age and comorbid conditions.

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