Epidemiology and clinical features of Huntington's disease in MENASA region: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Given the scarcity of comprehensive data on Huntington's disease in many Asian and African countries, it is more effective to focus on specific regions where there is a significant concentration of available data. Objective This study decided to evaluate the epidemiology and features of Huntington's disease in countries of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) regions. Methods In this meta-analysis, the limited maximum likelihood (REML) approach was applied to the estimated point prevalence mentioned in original studies of each MENASA country. Additionally, research on Huntington's disease characteristics in each nation was utilized to give a general picture of the disease's status in those nations. Results The pooled point prevalence estimation of the prevalence studies was 8.64 per 100,000 (95% CI, −0.04–17.33; I 2 = 100%). Among 14 cohort and cross-sectional studies on individuals with Huntington's disease in the MENASA region, 5.61% of the patients had juvenile-onset Huntington's disease, and 2.3% had late-onset Huntington's disease. In addition, 68.58%, 17.82%, and 45.17% of the individuals were reported with motor symptoms at the onset, abnormal cognitive assessment scores, and degrees of psychological disturbance, respectively. The mean age at onset was 44.85 years, and the mean number of pathologic CAG repeats was 45.46. Conclusions Notable differences in the frequency of symptoms of onset and pooled prevalence of HD in the MENASA region probably address a serious lack of sufficient information. The results would help clinicians and governments develop public health strategies, and further research could be conducted on these results.