Chinese culture permeation in the treatment of Parkinson disease: a cross-sectional study in four regions of China.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the clinical features and treatment of Chinese patients with Parkinson disease (PD).


METHODS
A large cross-sectional survey of clinical features, medication use, and motor complications was conducted in 901 consecutive PD patients, from 42 randomly selected university-affiliated hospitals in four urban economic regions of China, between December 2006 and May 2007.


RESULTS
The 901 PD patients had age range 30 to 88, and median disease duration 50 months. Most (737, 81.8%) used L-dopa (median 375 mg/day), and often added low doses of other antiparkinsonian agents. Among L-dopa-treated patients, the prevalence of motor complications was low (dyskinesias: 8.5%; motor fluctuations: 18.6%), even among patients with disease duration ≥11 years (dyskinesias: 18.1%; motor fluctuations: 42.2%). Higher L-dopa use was associated with higher occurrence of dyskinesias (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.20-5.13) and motor fluctuations (OR 2.48; 95% CI 1.49-4.14). Initiating PD treatment with L-dopa alone (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.22-0.95) or in combination with other medications (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.19-0.87) was associated with less dyskinesia than treatment initiated with non-L-dopa medication.


CONCLUSIONS
Many Chinese PD patients are treated with low-dose L-dopa and added low-dose antiparkinsonian agents, with a low prevalence of motor complications, which might be influenced by Chinese culture.
Departments of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wanfujing, Beijing 100730, China. wuzhangzhenxin@medmail.com.cn.
Zhen-Xin
ZX
Zhang
Honglei
H
Chen
Sheng-Di
SD
Chen
Ming
M
Shao
Sheng-Gang
SG
Sun
Qiu-Min
QM
Qu
Bao-Rong
BR
Zhang
Yi-Ming
YM
Liu
Qun
Q
Xu
Xia
X
Wan
Ling
L
Li
Hong-Bo
HB
Wen
Xia
X
Chen
Hai-Bo
HB
Chen
Zhen-Guo
ZG
Liu
Jian
J
Wang
Gang
G
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007980:Levodopa