# Modeling the impact of Women's Specific Health Factors in PD outcomes in Latinas

> **NIH NIH R01** · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · 2022 · $215,568

## Abstract

Abstract:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Men are ~2 times
more likely to develop PD compared to women. PD is starkly different between men and women; from age of
onset, symptoms, and severity. While there have been some studies identifying women-specific health factors
(hormonal and immunological changes due to experiences like menses, pregnancies, and menopause), these
factors are often ignored in predictive models and treatment plans. Studies have reported that women
experience higher rates of delayed or incorrect PD diagnosis, are less likely to receive therapy or see a
specialist once diagnosed, and have a lower health-related quality of life than men. Despite the stark
differences seen in the risk and severity of PD between men and women, there is no universally accepted
reason(s) behind it, leaving women, especially Latinas, poorly understood in PD. To combat this great overlook
for Latinas and women’s health, we will deploy our women’s questionnaire to 1,208 Latinas being recruited all
across the Americas and the Caribbean through LARGE-PD, PD GENEration, and The Cleveland Clinic. We
will use novel machine learning approaches to generate a first-of-its-kind predictive model for PD severity
(determined by the PD clinical score and symptoms profile) that includes the women-specific health factors
alongside clinical, demographic, and genetic factors. Our goal is to create PD predictive models that are
specific to women and moreover, Latinas, shifting the paradigm to emphasize the importance of sex, culture,
and ethnicity in PD. In addition, this project will influence PD research to incorporate sex-specific experiences
alongside genetics and other factors. By identifying novel associations between women-specific health factors,
genetics, and PD severity, this study has the potential to reduce inequities in healthcare for Latinas – not just
for PD but also perhaps for other neurological conditions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10558903
- **Project number:** 3R01NS112499-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU
- **Principal Investigator:** Ignacio Fernandez Mata
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $215,568
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10558903

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10558903, Modeling the impact of Women's Specific Health Factors in PD outcomes in Latinas (3R01NS112499-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10558903. Licensed CC0.

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