Nationwide Population-Based Epidemiologic Study of Huntington’s Disease in Taiwan

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiology and medical expenses of Huntington’s disease (HD) in Taiwan. Methods: Cases of HD were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database with corresponding International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 333.4 from January 2000 to December 2007. Age- and sex-specific incidences were estimated by dividing the incidence number by population data obtained from the Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interior. Results: During the study period, 182 cases were identified, including 81 males and 101 females. The average annual incidence rate was 0.1 per 100,000. The age-specific incidence peaked in the 40–49 age group in men (0.23 per 100,000 per year) and in the 50–59 age group in women (0.24 per 100,000 per year). The incidence rate was only 0.01 per 100,000 per year in those under 20 years of age. The prevalence was 0.42 per 100,000 in 2007. Conclusions: This is the first population-based epidemiologic study on HD in Taiwan. The incidence rates and prevalence were much lower than those of Caucasians although the age distribution was similar.