Life Expectancy for Parkinson Patients at Hoehn and Yahr Stage 5.

BACKGROUND

Survival following the transition to Hoehn and Yahr stage 5 (HY5) in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to examine survival following HY5 transition and identify associated prognostic factors.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 115 patients with PD who transitioned to HY5 and subsequently died. Linear regression was used to identify factors associated with survival from HY5 transition to death. Cox regression was performed as a sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

Mean survival following HY5 transition was 2.48 ± 2.20 years. Female sex was associated with longer survival, whereas longer disease duration and greater motor severity at HY5 transition were associated with shorter survival. Cox regression demonstrated consistent findings. Pneumonia was the most common cause of death (43.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival following HY5 transition was limited, but highly variable. These findings highlight HY5 as an important clinical milestone for prognostication, reviewing goal-of-care, supporting caregiver, and preparation for end-of-life care.