Introduction: A population-level relative risk assessment for comorbidities associated with myotonic dystrophy has not been performed.
Methods: In this study we utilized the Utah Population Database to identify patients with myotonic dystrophy in Utah according to ICD-9 coding. Comorbidity cases listed in the medical record were compared with those of the Utah population.
Results: Individuals with myotonic dystrophy were found to possess an increased risk of central and obstructive sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, and intellectual disability. The risk of cardiac conduction disorder is 60 times the population risk.
Conclusions: This study provides a population-level relative risk assessment of comorbidities in myotonic dystrophy. This allows for improved counseling of patients regarding these increased risks.
Keywords: genetic epidemiology; hypothyroidism; myotonic dystrophy; population; relative risk; sleep apnea.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.