Dongguk University College of Medicine Reports Findings in Myasthenia Gravis (Epidemiological profile of myasthenia gravis in South Korea using the national health insurance database): Autoimmune Diseases and Conditions – Myasthenia Gravis

2022 FEB 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Business Daily -- New research on Autoimmune Diseases and Conditions - Myasthenia Gravis is the subject of a report. According to news originating from Gyeongju, South Korea, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue. Our objective was to investigate the incidence of MG using the National Health Insurance database of South Korea.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the Dongguk University College of Medicine, “We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with the G70.0 code designated as MG and administered with MG medications for >3 months from 2007 to 2018 using nationwide data from South Korea. A total of 8,376 patients with MG during the period of 2010-2018 were identified. There were 3,862 (46.1%) male and 4,517 (53.9%) female patients. The standardized incidence rate was 1.18/100,000 in 2010, and increased to 1.81/100,000 in 2018. The standardized prevalence was 7.50/100,000 in 2010, and changed to 11.15/100,000 in 2018. Pyridostigmine was used to treat 82.3 ± 1.2% of patients with MG during 2010-2018. Among MG patients, 85.7 ± 0.9% used steroids, 31.6 ± 4.8% used azathioprine, 12.9 ± 9.5% used tacrolimus, 7.2 ± 2.1% used cyclosporine, 6.2 ± 1.8% used mycophenolate mofetil, and 0.4 ± 0.1% used methotrexate. Thymectomy was performed in 1,130 MG patients, and the time from MG diagnosis to thymectomy decreased from 2010 to 2018. Based on the national registry data from 2010 to 2018, the incidence and prevalence rate in South Korea has increased. Whereas the use of IVIG has remained stable, thymectomy is performed earlier than before, and the distribution of immunosuppressant therapies has changed over the years with an increase in tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “We expect that this study will serve as a basis for future South Korean MG epidemiological studies.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Epidemiological profile of myasthenia gravis in South Korea using the national health insurance database. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 2022. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Acta Neurologica Scandinavica - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1600-0404)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Kyung Yoon Eah, Dept. of Neurology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Jin-Sung Park and Jin-Mo Park.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1111/ane.13596. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavica is: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA.

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