SMASAC Working Group Post Polio Syndrome - Scottish Health On ...

Annex B – Prevalence estimates
Scottish Medicines and Scientific Advisory Committee Working Group
Post Polio Syndrome/Late Effects of Polio
There are several studies which have aimed to quantify the prevalence of PPS in
polio survivors, using a variety of different study methods. Results are
summarised below:
Author (country
and year of study)
Proportion of polio
survivors found to have
developed PPS
Study notes
Gilhus (Norway 1998) 15%
Takemura et al (Japan
2004)
85% Questionnaire survey
Halstead et al (USA,
1983)
42-87% Questionnaire survey
Ahlstrom (Sweden, 1993) 20-80% Medical records review
Halstead & Rossi (USA,
1987)
75% Clinical study
Codd et al (USA, 1985) 22.4% of paralytic cases Questionnaire survey
Windebank et al (USA,
1995)
60% Clinical study
Ramlow et al (USA,
1992)
28.5% of paralytic cases Questionnaire survey
Variation in the findings may be due in part to the differences in study methods
and the selection of the studied groups. Risk factors identified as associated with
the development of PPS include: greater severity of illness at acute phase,
greater recovery after acute phase, older age at time of acute phase, permanent
impairment after recovery, female gender, longer time interval since acute phase,
and possibly, increased physical exercise (Trojan & Cashman, 2005).
Some of these, and other studies, have estimated the population prevalence of
PPS, or of polio survivors in the population. These include:
Gilhus, 1998 (250 per 100,000 population polio survivors)
Takemura et al, 2004 (18 per 100,000 population PPS)
Ahlstrom et al, Sweden (186/100,000 population PPS)
Halstead (1995) (269 per 100,000 polio survivors)
Lonnberg, 1993 (157 per 100,000 population PPS)
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