To describe the clinical profile of high cardiovascular risk in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Comorbid cardiovascular disease is a mortality risk factor in Parkinson’s disease, which has been directly associated with an increased risk of stroke. The motor symptom-driven therapeutic approach leads to overlooking cardiovascular risk factors, thus hampering the establishment of appropriate primary prevention measures.

Retrospective study, files of PD patients seen in the outpatient neurology clinic were reviewed. PD was assessed through standard severity scales: Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y), motor (MDS-UPDRS III) and non-motor symptom (NMSS). Cardiovascular risk factor was calculated with the body mass index (BMI)–based QRISK3 score, and high risk defined as >10%. Variables were compared between the high risk and non-high risk groups and bivariate correlations were determined between QRISK3 score and the above-mentioned scales.

We included 84 patients, 69% male, mean age 58.4±9.7 years, disease duration 7.0 ±5.4 years, and mean age at disease onset 53.5±10.2 years. Mean Hoehn & Yahr was 2.3±0.8. High cardiovascular risk was present in 40.5% (n= 34), with a higher proportion of male gender (91% vs 54%), diabetes mellitus (41.2% vs 6.0%), arterial hypertension (50% vs 14%), former-smoker status (52.9% vs 20%), older age at disease onset (60.9±7.6 vs. 48.5±8.6 years) [p<0.001 for previous comparisons] and worse cognitive status (MoCA score 23.1±4.0 vs. 25.2±4.1; p=0.006). QRISK3 score was significantly correlated to older age (r=0.86, p<0.001) and age at disease onset (r=0.71, p<0.001) and MoCA score (r=–0.35, p=0.001), but not disease duration or severity.

High CV risk in Parkinson’s disease is not correlated to disease-specific variables (as duration or severity) but to traditional CV risk factors. Our results suggest CV risk is not inherent to PD and emphasizes the relevance of appropriate risk factor assessment in PD patients, given the elevated proportion of high CV risk.