African American and Hispanic patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) tend to develop symptoms at a younger age and have more severe disease — but their long-term health outcomes are similar to white and non-Hispanic patients, according to a recent study published in the journal Neurology: Clinical Practice.
Researchers used data from the EXPLORE-MG registry, which includes nearly 600 people receiving care for MG at a clinic in Connecticut. They compared patients by race and ethnicity to understand if and how MG affects various groups differently.
The study found that African American patients developed MG much earlier than white patients — on average, in their late 30s compared to early 60s. Similarly, Hispanic patients developed MG earlier than non-Hispanic patients — in their early 40s compared to late 50s.
African American MG patients were also more likely to experience severe symptoms at the beginning of the disease, such as limb weakness and difficulty speaking or swallowing. Additionally, they were approximately three times more likely to be hospitalized for serious flare-ups of the disease.
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Despite these differences in age of onset and disease severity, there were no major differences in how long it took people to improve (or reach remission) or in how well they ultimately did with treatment. This shows that modern treatments can work equally well, no matter a person’s race or ethnicity, the researchers said.
They also noted that more African American and Hispanic patients had surgery to remove the thymus gland (called a thymectomy) with a certain type of MG. The researchers think this may reflect the younger age of diagnosis in these groups, because thymectomy is more often a treatment option recommended for younger patients.
“We believe that our findings underscore the importance of actively investigating current disparities in MG care to not only understand this issue but also to ensure the most optimal and equitable management, irrespective of racial and ethnic background,” the researchers said.
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