Objective: To review the literature on Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Filipino’s and identify specific studies focusing on Filipino-Americans and Parkinson’s disease.

Background: Filipino’s are the second largest sub-group of Asian Americans in the US and have greater socioeconomic and health disparities than many other Asian sub-groups.^1–8 In PD, evidence suggests that minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may have worse outcomes.^9–11 Compared to Chinese and Japanese PD patients, little is known about PD in the Filipino population. The aim of this study was to scope the extent, range and nature of current knowledge on PD in Filipino-American patients in contrast to Filipino’s in general.

Method: We undertook a scoping review including all types of research relating to PD in Filipino’s. We searched the following electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Journals@OVID (searched 2023). Additionally, we reviewed reference lists and performed citation searches on PubMed and Google Scholar. Criteria for inclusion were peer-reviewed empirical articles published in English that specifically included Filipino patients with PD. We reviewed all eligible articles and categorized them by general topical themes.

Results: The scoping review resulted in 32 eligible papers [Figure 1]. There were only 3 papers that discussed PD in FA, but there were 29 papers that discussed PD in the Philippines. The main themes identified from the literature review were: 1) Genetics and Filipino’s: 34% (n=11) of studies identified known genetic differences that contribute to the risk of PD in Filipino’s 2) Levodopa response: 25% (n=8) of studies discussed differences in RBC-COMT activity resulting in Filipino’s having inadequate responses to levodopa, the standard of care for PD 3) PD care in the Philippines: 28% (n=9) of studies addressed the barriers in access to care and treatment gaps for PD patients in the Philippines.

Conclusion: Although Filipino-Americans are the second largest Asian American sub-group in the US, there is a paucity of information on PD in this population, with the majority of studies from the Philippines. Further studies on FA in the US, when compared to the studies from the Philippines, may shed light on how differences in the environment and sociodemographic factors may influence the nature and course of PD.

References: 1. Gordon NP, Lin TY, Rau J, Lo JC. Aggregation of Asian-American subgroups masks meaningful differences in health and health risks among Asian ethnicities: an electronic health record based cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):1551. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7683-3
2. Abesamis CJ, Fruh S, Hall H, Lemley T, Zlomke KR. Cardiovascular Health of Filipinos in the United States: A Review of the Literature. J Transcult Nurs Off J Transcult Nurs Soc. 2016;27(5):518-528. doi:10.1177/1043659615597040
3. de Castro AB, Gee GC, Takeuchi DT. Job-Related Stress and Chronic Health Conditions Among Filipino Immigrants. J Immigr Minor Health. 2008;10(6):551-558. doi:10.1007/s10903-008-9138-2
4. Gee GC, Delva J, Takeuchi DT. Relationships Between Self-Reported Unfair Treatment and Prescription Medication Use, Illicit Drug Use, and Alcohol Dependence Among Filipino Americans. Am J Public Health. 2007;97(5):933-940. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.075739
5. de Castro AB, Gee GC, Takeuchi DT. Workplace Discrimination and Health Among Filipinos in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2008;98(3):520-526. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.110163
6. Filipino Health Disparities | Feature Story. NIMHD. Accessed March 13, 2023. https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/news-events/features/community-health/filipino-imigrants-obese.html
7. Raquinio PASH. Type 2 Diabetes Among Filipino American Adults in the Multiethnic Cohort. Prev Chronic Dis. 2021;18. doi:10.5888/pcd18.210240
8. Du Y, Shih M, Lightstone AS, Baldwin S. Hypertension among Asians in Los Angeles County: Findings from a multiyear survey. Prev Med Rep. 2017;6:302-306. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.03.009
9. Tolosa E, Garrido A, Scholz SW, Poewe W. Challenges in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Lancet Neurol. 2021;20(5):385-397. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00030-2
10. Rosińczuk J, Pytel A, Kołtuniuk A. Sociodemographic Factors Affecting the Disease Acceptance and the Quality of Life in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Study. Rehabil Nurs Off J Assoc Rehabil Nurses. 2019;44(1):35-46. doi:10.1097/rnj.0000000000000149
11. Watanabe G, Morden FTC, Gao F, Morita M, Bruno MK. Utilization and gender disparities of Deep Brain Stimulation surgery amongst Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Other Pacific Islanders with Parkinson’s disease in Hawaii. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2022;222:107466.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/filipinos-and-parkinsons-disease-a-scoping-review-of-the-literature/