[Huntington's disease mortality in Spain in the period 1981-2004].
BACKGROUND
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomic dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuromuscular, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the mortality trend for HD from 1981-2004 in Spain.


METHODS
Both crude and specific rates adjusted to the European population were used to show the evolution of mortality. Rates are showed by age and gender per million of inhabitants. Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze mortality trends.


RESULTS
866 deaths under HD codes were recorded in Spain during the study period (452 males and 414 females). Adjusted rates ranged from 0.64 in 1981 to 1.65 in 2004 in males and from 0.40 in 1981 to 1.16 in 2004 in females. The trend of the mortality rates in both genders followed a slight and steady increase during the whole period and dramatic changes were not detected. The average yearly percentage of this increase was 3.76% in males and 3.67% in females.


CONCLUSIONS
The study has showed a yearly age adjusted mortality rates increase close to 4%. No differences have been seen between males and females. The follow up of this trend should be monitored to test if it stabilizes or it rises.
Ramalle-Gomara
E
E
Servicio de Epidemiología y Prevención Sanitaria de La Rioja, Longroño, La Rioja, Spain.
Gonzalez
M A
MA
Perucha
M
M
Quinones
C
C
Lezaun
M E
ME
Posada-De la Paz
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain