Ethnicity and Parkinson's

Every Parkinson’s journey is unique. Age of onset, symptoms and progression can vary from person to person. This could be for a number of reasons to do with the environment and our genetics, and it’s likely that our current understanding of Parkinson’s isn't the full picture. But the more we understand, the closer we’ll get to finding tailored treatments for each person.

However, much of our understanding of Parkinson’s has come from studies carried out with participants from white, European backgrounds. The studies have very rarely included, or differentiated between, ethnic groups. For instance, of the 266 Parkinson’s trials listed between 2017-2021, only 2 reported including Black participants.

This isn’t a problem unique to Parkinson’s. Many studies struggle to recruit representative participants. But this means there’s a huge missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding Parkinson’s. Here we take a look at some of the research that’s looking at addressing these gaps, and what we need next to ensure that future research is inclusive of everyone.
 

Prevalence

Prevalence refers to the total number of people with a condition at a point in time. Our latest estimate is that there are around 166,000 people with Parkinson’s in the UK. We know that the number of people living with Parkinson’s across the world is rising, in part because people are living longer. In 2025, a study predicted that the number of people living with Parkinson’s worldwide could double by the year 2050. Read more about the study in our news story.

It’s not clear whether ethnicity plays a role in the prevalence of Parkinson’s. It’s possible that environmental factors (such as diet) or genetic factors might have an impact on prevalence between people from different ethnicities. But we don’t have enough information to know for sure. It can also be hard to compare data from different countries because the studies are often carried out in very different ways, and the journey and frequency of diagnosis can vary.

Another important consideration is links with other conditions. For example, a number of studies have shown that people with Type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s, and people from South Asian backgrounds are known to be at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. So this may affect the prevalence of Parkinson’s within the South Asian community. 

Understanding more about the risk factors of Parkinson’s and how ethnicity may be involved is crucial to making sure the correct advice, care and treatment options are available.

Genetics

All human beings are 99.9% identical in their genetic makeup. But there are subtle differences in our genes that make us individuals. Whilst most of these differences are harmless, sometimes they result in someone being at higher risk of developing certain health conditions.

We’re starting to see more research projects include information about ethnicity in their genetics studies. And it’s great to see a worldwide research project called GP2 working to gather information from people who are underrepresented in Parkinson’s research to address some of the imbalances. They’re collecting and studying the genetic information from over 250,000 volunteers from across the globe. This information will then be available to researchers, who can make their studies more representative. Read more about the GP2 project. 

Information from studies like these is helping unlock new potential drug targets for Parkinson’s. For example, research has revealed that North African and Ashkenazi Jewish populations are more likely to develop Parkinson’s due to a particular genetic variation. And in 2023, a research study looking at genetic information from people of African heritage identified a new risk factor for Parkinson’s unique to the Black African community. Read the full story on our news page.

Symptoms

Parkinson’s is a complex and varied condition. There are many symptoms and each person may experience them differently. The timing and severity of these symptoms can also vary from person to person. Research suggests that ethnicity may affect which symptoms someone is more likely to experience:

• People from African or Caribbean backgrounds may be more likely to experience slowness of movement (bradykinesia), thinking and memory problems and dementia than other ethnic groups.
• People from Asian backgrounds seem more likely to freeze and experience uncontrolled movements (dyskinesia).

Studies that are truly working to be representative can help uncover new signs or symptoms of Parkinson’s that are experienced by people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and had previously gone unnoticed. A study that focused on the experiences of people from Black and South Asian backgrounds identified new early signs that could be linked to Parkinson’s in some people, like hearing loss or epilepsy. Read more about this study. 

And new research shared in 2025 looking at a representative population in East London, where more than 1 in 2 people are from a minority ethnic background, indicated differences in symptoms between South Asian, Black and White populations. They found that movement symptoms were often worse in South Asian and Black participants, and that they were more likely to experience memory and thinking problems. Read more about this and similar studies in our news story.

Recognising these differences is important to ensure that people receive a timely diagnosis of Parkinson’s. If certain symptoms aren't recognised as being related to Parkinson’s, by people experiencing them and by healthcare professionals, this will lead to a delay in someone’s diagnosis and access to treatment.

Treatment

To get a new drug to market, it has to be safe and effective in clinical trials. However, many clinical trials fail to recruit diverse participants. This means that the results from clinical trials might not apply to everyone.

This matters because populations may have very different experiences of the condition and respond differently to therapies. A 2015 review of newly approved drugs found that about 1 in 5 weren’t broken down in the body in the same way, or produced different responses, between people from different racial or ethnic groups. Read the full study on the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics website.

For example, some medications may be less effective for people from certain ethnic backgrounds. It’s been reported that levodopa may be less effective for people of African or Caribbean heritage, although more evidence is needed to understand why this might be the case. 

Moving forward, it’s essential that clinical studies are representative of the populations they seek to serve.

Healthcare inequalities

Racial bias is systemic in the UK and our health services are no exception to this. People’s experience of Parkinson’s will be affected by wider inequalities in healthcare.

Much of what we know about healthcare inequalities has come from studies in the US. These studies found that people with Parkinson’s from minority ethnic backgrounds were less likely to receive a timely diagnosis or get specialist care from a neurologist. Several studies have also shown that Black people with Parkinson’s have a higher mortality rate.

But we know that health inequalities exist in the UK as well. A 2025 study looking at Parkinson’s care in members of the South Asian population in the UK found that accessing healthcare appointments and difficulties getting a diagnosis were common barriers to people getting the support they need. Read more about this on the Nature journal website.

People from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to work in low-paid roles, live in crowded housing and experience poverty in the UK. It’s important to acknowledge the negative impact that poverty has on health outcomes. Read more about healthcare inequalities on the King’s Fund website.

Looking forward

It’s clear that a lot more research is needed to understand the role that ethnicity plays in Parkinson’s. Clinical trials need to be more ethnically diverse, which relies on the research community making studies more accessible to people from different backgrounds. 

We are determined to make research work for everyone affected by Parkinson’s. Since 2021, we’ve been working with a dedicated group of volunteers and specialist organisations on our Race Equality in Research programme. Read more about the great progress we’re making in our blog.

The research community has a lot of work to do to make studies more appealing and accessible to those from Black, Asian, Arab and mixed heritage backgrounds. But working together, we can make sure that Parkinson’s research is representative of every Parkinson’s journey.

With special thanks to Annie Amjad and Gillian Granville in our Involvement Steering Group, and our Race Equality in Research Steering Group, for their contributions to this blog.