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Screenings by age and gender

Screenings if you have Parkinson's disease

MedlinePlus says Parkinson disease most often develops after age 60 and affects men more often than women. (MedlinePlus) NICE says people diagnosed with Parkinson's should be seen at regular intervals of 6 to 12 months to review their diagnosis. (NICE NG71) This page covers the checks tied to Parkinson's, not medicines, doses or treatment.

Regular specialist review

NICE says to review the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease regularly, and that people diagnosed with Parkinson's should be seen at regular intervals of 6 to 12 months to review their diagnosis. (NICE NG71) NICE also says people with Parkinson's should have: (NICE NG71)

  • a comprehensive care plan agreed between the person, their family members and carers (as appropriate), and specialist and secondary healthcare providers
  • an accessible point of contact with specialist services, which could be a Parkinson's disease nurse specialist
  • regular access to clinical monitoring and a continuing point of contact for support

The NHS says that even when no treatment is needed in the early stages, you may need regular appointments with your specialist so your condition can be monitored. (NHS) See questions to ask your doctor.

Memory, thinking and hallucinations

The NHS lists mild cognitive impairment (slight memory problems and problems with activities that require planning and organisation) and dementia among the cognitive and psychiatric symptoms of Parkinson's. (NHS symptoms) NICE says that because people with Parkinson's may develop impaired cognitive ability, communication problems or depression, they should be given both oral and written information throughout the course of the condition. (NICE NG71) NICE says to ask people with Parkinson's and their family members and carers (as appropriate), at review appointments and following medicine changes, whether the person is experiencing hallucinations (particularly visual) or delusions. (NICE NG71) See memory screening (Mini-Cog and MoCA).

Depression and anxiety

The NHS lists depression and anxiety among the symptoms of Parkinson's, (NHS) and MedlinePlus lists anxiety, stress, depression and memory loss among its other symptoms. (MedlinePlus) For identifying depression in people with Parkinson's, NICE NG71 points to the NICE guideline on depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem. (NICE NG71) See depression screening: what to expect, anxiety screening (GAD-7) and mental health screenings by age.

Sleep

The NHS lists problems sleeping (insomnia), which can lead to excessive sleepiness during the day, among the physical symptoms of Parkinson's. (NHS symptoms) NICE says to take care to identify restless leg syndrome and rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in people with Parkinson's and sleep disturbance. (NICE NG71) See sleep apnea screening.

Swallowing and speech

MedlinePlus lists difficulty swallowing or eating, pneumonia from breathing in saliva or choking on food, and breathing food, fluid or mucus into the lungs (aspiration) among the possible complications of Parkinson's. (MedlinePlus) The NHS says swallowing difficulties can lead to malnutrition and dehydration. (NHS symptoms) NICE says to consider referring people in the early stages of Parkinson's to a speech and language therapist with experience of Parkinson's for assessment, and to offer speech and language therapy to people with problems with communication, swallowing or saliva. (NICE NG71)

Falls and bone health

The NHS says balance problems can make someone with Parkinson's more likely to have a fall and injure themselves, and lists dizziness, blurred vision or fainting when standing up, caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure. (NHS symptoms) MedlinePlus lists injuries from falls among the possible complications. (MedlinePlus) The 2024 UK osteoporosis guideline from the National Osteoporosis Guideline Group (NOGG) lists Parkinson's disease and associated syndromes among the clinical risk factors that should trigger fracture risk assessment, and says to enter Parkinson's as "yes" in the rheumatoid arthritis input of the FRAX fracture risk tool. (NOGG, 2024) A 2025 UK study of 182 people with parkinsonism (mean age 73.8) who were offered a bone density scan found that 28% reported a prior fragility fracture and 40.7% had recurrent falls in the previous year. (BONE PARK 2, 2025) See fall risk screening, bone density test: how often, DEXA scan: what to expect and blood pressure readings.

Usual screening on schedule

Parkinson's does not change the general schedules for cancer, heart and other screening in the sources on this page. (NICE NG71)(MedlinePlus) See preventive screenings for older adults, cancer screenings by age and screenings by age and gender.

When to contact a provider

MedlinePlus, Parkinson disease, when to contact a medical professional: (MedlinePlus)

  • Contact your provider if: You have symptoms of Parkinson disease; Your symptoms get worse; New symptoms occur.
  • If you take medicines for Parkinson disease, tell your provider about any side effects, which may include: Changes in alertness, behavior, or mood; Delusional behavior; Dizziness; Hallucinations; Involuntary movements; Loss of mental functions; Nausea and vomiting; Severe confusion or disorientation.
  • Also contact your provider if the condition gets worse and home care is no longer possible.

Where they differ:

  • Age at onset. MedlinePlus says Parkinson disease most often develops after age 60; (MedlinePlus) the NHS says most people start to develop symptoms when they are over 50, and some first have symptoms under 40. (NHS)
  • Fracture risk tools. NOGG says to enter Parkinson's in FRAX using the rheumatoid arthritis input, and notes this only partly accounts for the higher fracture risk; (NOGG, 2024) the BONE PARK 2 authors point out that FRAX does not directly include falls, which are common in Parkinson's, and built a Parkinson's-specific algorithm that also uses the NOGG falls adjustment. (BONE PARK 2, 2025)

Your doctor decides what your result means for you.

Questions people ask

How often should someone with Parkinson's see a specialist?

NICE says people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease should be seen at regular intervals of 6 to 12 months to review their diagnosis, and that they should have regular access to clinical monitoring, which may be provided by a Parkinson's disease nurse specialist. (NICE NG71)

Will I be asked about hallucinations or memory at review appointments?

NICE says to ask people with Parkinson's and their family members or carers, at review appointments and after medicine changes, whether the person is seeing or believing things that are not there. The NHS lists mild cognitive impairment and dementia among the possible symptoms of Parkinson's. (NICE NG71) (NHS symptoms)

Does Parkinson's mean a bone density check?

The 2024 UK osteoporosis guideline lists Parkinson's disease among the clinical risk factors that should trigger fracture risk assessment, and says to enter Parkinson's as "yes" in the rheumatoid arthritis input of the FRAX tool. It does not set a scan schedule for everyone with Parkinson's. (NOGG, 2024)

Does Parkinson's change the usual cancer and heart screening schedule?

The sources on this page do not set a different schedule for cancer, heart or other routine screening in people with Parkinson's. (NICE NG71) (MedlinePlus)

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