Table 1 Characteristics of the new users (n = 4,887) of anti-Parkinson medications
From: Treatment initiation for parkinson’s disease in Australia 2013–2018: a nation-wide study
Levodopa (n = 3084) | Non-ergot DAs (n = 1184) | MAO-B inhibitors (n = 171) | Anticholinergics (n = 168) | Combination of ≥ 2 groups (n = 191) | Total (n = 4887)a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
Aged ≥ 65 years | 2540 (82.4) | 662 (55.9) | 110 (64.3) | 79 (47.0) | 126 (66.0) | 3553 (72.7) |
Men | 1839 (59.6) | 537 (45.4) | 114 (66.7) | 91 (54.2) | 112 (58.6) | 2728 (55.8) |
Concessional beneficiary | 2395 (77.7) | 825 (69.7) | 98 (57.3) | 124 (73.8) | 127 (66.5) | 3622 (74.1) |
Use of propranolol | 169 (5.5) | 33 (2.8) | 17 (9.9) | 17 (10.1) | 12 (6.3) | 251 (5.1) |
Use of any analgesic | 1726 (56.0) | 825 (69.7) | 71 (41.5) | 101 (60.1) | 101 (52.9) | 2873 (58.8) |
Opioids | 983 (31.9) | 586 (49.5) | 34 (19.9) | 66 (39.3) | 49 (25.7) | 1746 (35.7) |
NSAIDs | 679 (22.0) | 372 (31.4) | 32 (18.7) | 42 (25.0) | 44 (23.0) | 1191 (24.4) |
Paracetamol | 886 (28.7) | 333 (28.1) | 25 (14.6) | 47 (28.0) | 43 (22.5) | 1351 (27.6) |
Pregabalin | 295 (9.6) | 218 (18.4) | 7 (4.1) | 23 (13.7) | 18 (9.4) | 579 (11.8) |
Use of any psychotropic | 1396 (45.3) | 743 (62.8) | 53 (31.0) | 98 (58.3) | 92 (48.2) | 2427 (49.7) |
Antidepressants | 1108 (35.9) | 584 (49.3) | 47 (27.5) | 70 (41.7) | 71 (37.2) | 1919 (39.3) |
Antipsychoticsb | 47 (1.5) | 15 (1.3) | < 3 | 22 (13.1) | < 3 | 87 (1.8) |
BZDRs | 609 (19.7) | 405 (34.2) | 18 (10.5) | 57 (33.9) | 48 (25.1) | 1153 (23.6) |
Any cardiovascular disorder | 2438 (79.1) | 833 (70.4) | 111 (64.9) | 117 (69.6) | 144 (75.4) | 3693 (75.6) |
Diabetes | 539 (17.5) | 210 (17.7) | 17 (9.9) | 27 (16.1) | 25 (13.1) | 831 (17.0) |
Gastric acid disorder | 1370 (44.1) | 596 (50.3) | 57 (33.3) | 71 (42.3) | 86 (45.0) | 2219 (45.4) |
Reactive airway disease | 617 (20.0) | 331 (28.0) | 22 (12.9) | 31 (18.5) | 39 (20.4) | 1059 (21.7) |
Osteoporosis/Paget’s | 400 (13.0) | 111 (9.4) | 9 (5.3) | 13 (7.7) | 14 (7.3) | 551 (11.3) |