Title : Underrepresentation of specific ethnicities in Parkinson’s research: Insights and considerations for GLP-1RA use in management
Abstract:
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the demographic data of patient populations in 4 major Parkinson’s disease (PD) databases to identify potential underrepresentation within PD research, and to consider the implications of underrepresentation on the future use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) use in PD treatment.
Method: This study analysed the demographic data of the patient populations in 4 databases: Parkinsons Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) online, PPMI in-person, BIOFIND and the Parkinson family project (PFP). The analysis focused on the ethnic composition of participants.
Results: The study found that there was a predominantly White demographic across all 4 databases, with PFP at 91.8%, BIOFIND at 91%, PPMI online at 73.7% and PPMI in-person at 64.2%. It was also noted that the Asian ethnicity was represented 0.1%-2.0% of and the Black ethnicity was present 0.6%-4.7% of the databases. The minimal representation or complete exclusion of other minority ethnicities was also observed.
Conclusions: These findings therefore highlights the lack of diversity across PD databases and underlines the need for increased representation of minority ethnicities. This is further emphasised when considering the promising use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) in future PD research, as the ethnic groups most likely to benefit from this treatment are also those most underrepresented in research. Addressing these disparities is essential for the applicability of PD research and improved therapeutic outcomes.
