Multiple Sclerosis statistics show there are large variations in the number of infected people between each country. However, the study found that three general factors, which may be responsible for these changes, are to blame for this incurable disease. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with MS as men and even children aren’t safe from developing it. As a pediatric disease, it’s important to note that the female to male ratio is opposite than that seen in adults. In the MS population of children affected by the disease, males are diagnosed more often than females, until puberty is reached. After puberty, the majority of MS patients are female.
Multiple Sclerosis statistics worldwide changed once environmental factors, genetics and infections of the past were believed to play a larger part in the manifestation of the disease. In fact, in countries that are farther from the equator, the percentage of MS is much higher than in countries positioned closer to the equatorial line. Ethnicity also has something to do with the development of MS. As an example, the northern part of Scandinavia where the Lapps live and the Maori of New Zealand both have extremely few cases of MS. On the contrary, the people of Scotland and descendants of the Vikings have an increased probability of having MS at some point in their life.
When it comes to the incidence of Multiple Sclerosis, it is important to know that having a family member who becomes ill with MS greatly increases the risk of other immediate members of the same family. The incidence of MS has not been definitively linked to genetics or to any particular virus, but there are some common childhood infections, which are connected to an increased risk of developing this disease. Various forms of the herpes virus, such as mono, chicken pox, and shingles, raise the risk of developing MS later on.
Multiple Sclerosis statistics UK
Multiple Sclerosis statistics 2009 showed no sign of this disease coming to an end. In the UK, Multiple Sclerosis statistics show incidences are higher than elsewhere in the world. In fact, Scotland has the highest number of MS cases in the entire UK. There are more than 10,000 people in Scotland with MS, making up fairly large percentage of the 70,000 total people in all of the UK who have Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis seems to be on the rise, but thankfully new drug therapies also seem to be coming about with more positive results.
