Does Parkinson's disease increase the risk of cardiovascular events? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on the risk of cardiovascular disease is poorly known. The aim was to systematically review observational studies evaluating the association between PD and cardiovascular events.

METHODS: MEDLINE through PubMed, the Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials with conference proceedings were searched from inception to 4 July 2019. Two reviewers independently selected studies comparing cardiovascular events between Parkinson's disease and control groups. Ischaemic stroke, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality were the outcomes of interest. Pooled estimates of odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived by random effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO: CRD42017076527.

RESULTS: Eleven studies were included: nine cohort studies and two case-control studies. PD was associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke (nine studies: OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.19, 2.34; I2  = 50%). No significant differences were detected regarding myocardial infarction risks (eight studies: OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.72, 1.83; I2  = 76%) nor cardiovascular mortality risks (seven studies: OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.85, 1.45; I2  = 47%) in PD patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The best evidence available showed an association between PD and increased risk of stroke. The risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality was not different in PD and non-PD individuals.