The number of people with Parkinson’s disease will more than double by 2050, driven by the aging of the global population, a new study suggests.

In all, 25.2 million people will be living with Parkinson’s by 2050, researchers project in The BMJ.

“An urgent need exists for future research to focus on the development of novel drugs, gene engineering techniques, and cell replacement therapies that are aimed at modifying the course of the disease and improving patients’ quality of life,” concluded a team led by senior researcher Tao Feng with the Beijing Tiantan Hospital Center for Movement Disorders in China.

Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells related to movement become impaired or start to die, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

As these cells die, people lose the ability to control their body’s movement. They might shake uncontrollably, become stiff or develop problems with balance and coordination.

Age is a clear risk factor for Parkinson’s with most developing the disease after age 60, the NIA says.

Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, and the fastest growth in terms of prevalence and disability, researchers said in background notes.

To predict future trends in Parkinson’s, researchers analyzed data from an ongoing study tracking the global rates of diseases. Their data included 195 countries and territories.

Their models projected that the number of people with Parkinson’s by 2050 will increase by 112%.

The aging of the population will be the main driver behind this increase, associated with 89% of new cases, results show.

The most pronounced increase in Parkinson’s cases is expected to occur in western Sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of people with the disease will nearly triple (292%), researchers said.

The smallest increases are projected in central and eastern Europe, with 28% more cases. The population in those nations is decreasing, researchers said, and there’s less effect from population aging.

More men than women develop Parkinson’s disease, and researchers project that gap will increase in the coming decades — widening from 1.46 in 2021 to 1.64 in 2050.

These projections “could serve as an aid in promoting health research, informing policy decisions, and allocating resources,” researchers concluded.

The findings were published March 5.