BMJ Group Medical Reference
Introduction
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is quite common.- About 85,000 people in the UK have MS.[2]
- Around 1 in 800 people in Europe and North America have it. MS is the most common cause of disability due to nerve damage in young adults.[3][4]
- MS is usually diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40 years.[5]
- Women are almost twice as likely to get MS as men.[2]
- In the UK, MS is more common in the north of Scotland than farther south.[1] In Europe, it's more common in northern countries (such as Norway, Sweden and Finland) than in southern ones (such as Spain, Italy and Greece).[1] No one knows why, but the disease gets more common the farther you go from the equator.
- MS may have become more common over the last 20 years. But experts aren't sure if more people are getting MS or if doctors have just become better at diagnosing it.[6]
Citations
- 1. Compston A. Genetic epidemiology of multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 1997; 62: 553-561.
- 2. Multiple Sclerosis Society. What is MS? June 2009. Available at http://www.mssociety.org.uk (accessed on 15 June 2009).
- 3. Ford HL, Gerry E, Johnson M, et al. A prospective study of the incidence, prevalence and mortality of multiple sclerosis in Leeds. Journal of Neurology. 2002; 249: 260-265.
- 4. Sloka JS, Pryse-Phillips WE, Stefanell M. Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. 2005; 32: 37-42.
- 5. Weinshenker BG, Bass B, Rice GP, et al. The natural history of multiple sclerosis: a geographically based study. I. Clinical course and disability. Brain. 1989; 112: 133-146.
- 6. Hauser SL, Goodkin DE. Multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases. In: Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. McGraw Hill, New York, USA; 2001.
Last Updated: April 16, 2010
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2009. All rights reserved.