Timed Up and Go Test and the Risk of Parkinson's Disease: A Nation‐wide Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract Background If mild parkinsonian signs can be a marker for Parkinson's disease (PD) development, an impaired Timed Up and Go test (TUG) should also be a marker for prodromal PD. Objectives To investigate whether the Timed Up and Go test is associated with PD. Methods We included 1,196,614 participants at 66 years of age who underwent the National Screening Program for Transitional Ages for Koreans between 2009 and 2014. Timed Up and Go test times were classified into <10 and ≥10 seconds. Incidence of PD was defined using claims data. Results During the median follow‐up period of 3.5 years, participants with slow Timed Up and Go test time had significantly increased risk of developing PD compared with those with normal Timed Up and Go test time (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.28; 95% confidence interval: 1.20–1.37). Furthermore, participants with an abnormal Timed Up and Go test result, defined as ≥20 seconds, had a significantly increased risk of PD compared with those with a normal Timed Up and Go test result (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.63–2.92). Conclusion An indicator of subtle motor deficits, the Timed Up and Go test could be a prodromal marker for the risk of PD development. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society