Common Diseases

• Neurodegenerative diseases are common conditions, and their prevalence increases significantly with age. It is estimated that there are currently in France:

  • More than one million people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia;

  • Approximately 175,000 people receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease;

  • Approximately 2,300 new cases per year of motor neuron diseases, the main cause of which is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

• Due to the progressive aging of the population and the lack of curative treatments, the number of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases has increased considerably over the past few decades and is expected to grow steadily in the coming years.

• In this context, Santé publique France’s priorities are:

  • implementing epidemiological surveillance of the major neurodegenerative diseases;

  • studying their potential link to environmental and occupational exposures and health behaviors;

  • studying their consequences and the factors that influence their prognosis.

A major impact on those affected and their loved ones

• Neurodegenerative diseases are a major cause of disability, dependency, institutionalization, and hospitalization.

• They have a significant impact on the quality of life of those affected, as well as on that of their loved ones and caregivers.

• Currently available treatments are purely symptomatic and vary in effectiveness.

A surveillance system established by Santé publique France

There is little information available in France to assess the burden of neurodegenerative diseases at the national level. That is why, since 2014, Santé publique France’s epidemiological surveillance program for neurodegenerative diseases has focused on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease, and motor neuron diseases.

This program relies primarily on the analysis of medical-administrative databases from the National Health Data System (SNDS), which covers 98% of the French population, or more specialized databases such as the National Alzheimer’s Bank (BNA).

Its objectives are:

• to estimate the frequency (prevalence, incidence) of these diseases;

• to study the temporal trends of these indicators and their geographic distribution in relation to exposures of interest, such as certain environmental and occupational exposures;

• to study their consequences (mortality, hospitalizations) and the factors influencing their prognosis (sociodemographic characteristics, associated morbidities, reasons for hospitalizations).

Is prevention possible?

The following are associated with a lower risk of dementia: a high level of education, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and early management of vascular risk factors (particularly high blood pressure and diabetes).
As for Parkinson’s disease, physical activity and specialized rehabilitation are associated with a more favorable disease course, with a lower risk of complications and reduced care costs. Some studies also suggest that physical activity may offer benefits for disease prevention.