Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2026 Jan 30.
doi: 10.1002/mdc3.70537. Online ahead of print.

Risk of Falls and Need of Walking Aid in Parkinson's Disease: Incidence and Impact of Comorbidities

Louise-Laure Mariani  1   2 , Benjamin Dano  1 , Marion Houot  2   3   4 , Graziella Mangone  1   2 , Fernando Pico  5   6 , Olivier Rascol  7 , Ana Marques  8 , Pascal Derkinderen  9 , Marie Vidailhet  1   2 , Alexis Brice  2   10 , Jean-Christophe Corvol  1   2 ; DIGPD study group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Risk of Falls and Need of Walking Aid in Parkinson's Disease: Incidence and Impact of Comorbidities

Louise-Laure Mariani et al. Mov Disord Clin Pract. .

Abstract

Background: Predicting falls in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is challenging despite their significant frequency and consequences.

Objectives: To determine incidences of first fall, walking aid requirement, and identify risk factors of subsequent risk, including factors unrelated to PD.

Methods: Study in 415 PD patients (DIGPD prospective cohort). Cumulative incidence curves were calculated and Generalized Linear Mixed Models investigated influencing factors.

Results: Five years after diagnosis, 26.1% of patients experienced falls while only 2.1% required walking aids; after 10 years, it rose to 66.5% and 17%, respectively. Median time to first fall was 7.9 years. Risk factors of falls were cognitive decline, freezing, comorbidities such as diabetes and depression, history of falls particularly in male, or low Body Mass Index (BMIs). Walking aids risk factors were older age, freezing, lower walking speed, higher BMIs, history of walking aid.

Conclusions: Treatable comorbidities (depression, diabetes, weight regulation) should be addressed in daily care to avoid falls in PD patients.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease; falls; freezing of gait; walking aid.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Stolze H, Klebe S, Baecker C, Zechlin C, Friege L, Pohle S, Deuschl G. Prevalence of gait disorders in hospitalized neurological patients: gait disorders in neurological in patients. Mov Disord 2005;20(1):89–94. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.20266.
    1. Xu Q, Ou X, Li J. The risk of falls among the aging population: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Front Public Health 2022;10:902599. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.902599.
    1. Bloem BR, Grimbergen YAM, Cramer M, Willemsen M, Zwinderman AH. Prospective assessment of falls in Parkinson's disease. J Neurol 2001;248(11):950–958. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004150170047.
    1. Tosserams A, Fasano A, Gilat M, et al. Management of freezing of gait ‐ mechanism‐based practical recommendations. Nat Rev Neurol 2025;21(6):327–344. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-025-01079-6.
    1. Rascol O, Perez‐Lloret S, Damier P, et al. Falls in ambulatory non‐demented patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2015;122(10):1447–1455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-015-1396-2.

LinkOut - more resources