title: Clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease patients in Greece: a multicenter, nation-wide, cross-sectional study.
abstract: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease, with a constantly increasing prevalence and a high global financial impact arising from direct and indirect costs. Large-scale, observational studies provide data that support the better comprehension of disease aspects, constitute a baseline reference for future studies and assist comparisons among different patient populations, allowing the recognition of distinctive characteristics and special needs. The present study is the first to depict the clinical characteristics and their interplay in a large sample of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in Greece. Nine hundred eighty six consecutive PD outpatients were recruited from 17 centers around Greece in the time period from 8/2007 to 7/2009 and were examined and interviewed by movement disorders experts. Multiple clinical characteristics were recorded including age at diagnosis, disease severity, patients' self classification of PD symptoms and their relevance to physician's global clinical impression, smoking, alcohol consumption, presence of family history for PD, dementia, depression, hypertension, cancer and other comorbidities. Associations of high clinical significance were found between certain clinical characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Stavrou Niarchou Av., University Campus, P.C. 45110 Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: skonitso@uoi.gr.
authors.forename: Spiridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konitsiotis
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Neurology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.C. 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Sevasti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bostantjopoulou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Stavrou Niarchou Av., University Campus, P.C. 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chondrogiorgi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hipporkation Hospital, Konstantinoupoleos 49, P.C. 54642 Thessaloniki Greece.
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Katsarou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Gennimatas General Hospital, Mesogion Av 154, P.C. 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tagaris
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Neurology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.C. 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mavromatis
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Stavrou Niarchou Av., University Campus, P.C. 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ntzani
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.C. 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mentenopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Cancer; Comorbidities; Cross-sectional; Multi center; Nation-wide; Parkinson's disease