The Rare Bleeding Disorders Network

 

A new study has been published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases which describes the epidemiological profile of rare diseases in a subset of the Chinese population from 2012 to 2023. Researchers analysed a population-based rare disease registry, conducted by the Beijing Municipal Health Big Data and Policy Research Center and comprising more than 14 million individuals.

In total, the authors identified 12,371 cases of rare diseases, the majority of which were neurologic conditions. The next most common disease groups were systemic and rheumatologic diseases, and neoplastic diseases. Female patients were more likely to be affected by systemic and rheumatologic conditions, while respiratory disorders were more common among men. The most commonly occurring diseases in children were inborn errors of metabolism and rare immune diseases. Notably, the prevalence of Wilson’s disease was higher and the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was found to be lower than the global average.