Becktepe Jos S, McDonald Keltie, Müller Sabrina, Wilke Thomas, Zhuleku Evi, Appiah Karen, Dzimitrowicz Natasha, Marshall Jade, Sabater Javier, Barbato Luigi M, Saifee Tabish A
Department of Neurology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany.
Cytel, London, United Kingdom.
Front Neurol. 2025 Jul 2;16:1580919. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1580919. eCollection 2025.
Real-world evidence on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns of patients with essential tremor (ET) is limited. We used data from two large representative German claims databases to address this evidence gap.
Data were obtained from two German statutory health insurance databases, AOK PLUS and GWQ ServicePlus, from January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2022. Point prevalence and cumulative incidence of ET, standardized by age and sex to the German national population, were assessed. Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns were described within a cohort of patients newly diagnosed with ET in each database. Time to treatment initiation from diagnosis, and discontinuation and switch from the first-line therapeutic approach were evaluated using Kaplan Meier methods.
Age and sex-standardized prevalence of ET increased between 2010 and 2021, reaching 196 (AOK) and 250 (GWQ) per 100,000 persons in 2021. Among patients newly diagnosed with ET, the most frequent comorbidities at baseline were pain disorders (65-70%), hypertension (44-65%), and hyperlipidaemia (30-35%). Approximately 60% of patients received pharmacological therapy during follow-up (mean 56-62 months), particularly propranolol (44-50%), bisoprolol (24-27%) and metoprolol (23-27%). The median time from diagnosis to treatment initiation was 2.1-6.3 months. Most patients discontinued (72-75%) their first therapy within 12 months, with 41-46% switching to another therapy.
ET is a common movement disorder, the management of which is multi-faceted. Further evidence is needed to better understand and prioritize unmet needs and improve outcomes for patients with ET.
关于特发性震颤（ET）患者的流行病学、临床特征和治疗模式的真实世界证据有限。我们使用来自两个具有代表性的大型德国索赔数据库的数据来填补这一证据空白。
数据来自德国两个法定医疗保险数据库，AOK PLUS和GWQ ServicePlus，时间跨度为2010年1月1日至2022年3月31日。评估了按年龄和性别标准化至德国全国人口的ET的点患病率和累积发病率。在每个数据库中，对新诊断为ET的患者队列的基线人口统计学、临床特征和治疗模式进行了描述。使用Kaplan Meier方法评估从诊断到开始治疗的时间，以及从一线治疗方法的停药和换药情况。
2010年至2021年间，ET的年龄和性别标准化患病率有所增加，2021年达到每10万人196例（AOK）和250例（GWQ）。在新诊断为ET的患者中，基线时最常见的合并症是疼痛障碍（65 - 70%）、高血压（44 - 65%）和高脂血症（30 - 35%）。在随访期间，约60%的患者接受了药物治疗（平均56 - 62个月），尤其是普萘洛尔（44 - 50%）、比索洛尔（24 - 27%）和美托洛尔（23 - 27%）。从诊断到开始治疗的中位时间为2.1 - 6.3个月。大多数患者在12个月内停用了他们的第一种治疗（72 - 75%），其中41 - 46%的患者换用了另一种治疗。
ET是一种常见的运动障碍，其管理是多方面的。需要更多证据来更好地理解未满足的需求并确定其优先级，从而改善ET患者的治疗结果。
