Background: Recent genomewide association study meta-analyses have identified 28 loci associated with risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). We sought to investigate whether these genetic risk factors are associated with PD age at onset.
Methods: Genetic risk scores from these loci were calculated for 6,249 cases. Linear regression tested associations between cumulative genetic risk and PD age at onset.
Results: Increasing genetic risk scores were associated with earlier age at onset (beta = -0.10, P = 2.92 × 10(-8) , adjusted r(2) = 0.27). Single standard deviation increase in genetic risk score is associated with 37.44 d earlier age at onset. Highest genetic risk was found at 31 to 60 y, onset slightly below average age at onset (AAO).
Conclusions: Common genetic risk factors have a small but consistent association with AAO in PD.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease; age at onset; genetics; statistics.
© 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.