The Multiple Sclerosis prevalence records vary from year to year, as well as between each source submitting facts. For the most part, the MS prevalence around the world is about 2 and a half million people. The numbers of individuals afflicted with MS in each country vary greatly and researchers feel there are 3 factors responsible for these variations. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with MS as men are, except in the pediatric world. Although this tends to be a disease adults are affected by more so than children, pediatric MS is present. However, the majority of children affected by MS tend to be males until puberty hits, then the tables turn and females are more commonly diagnosed with this disease.
As for the 3 factors researchers believe to be responsible for the Multiple Sclerosis prevalence worldwide, they are environmental, genetics, and past infections. It appears that countries further from the equator have a higher number of MS cases than those closest to it. Different races tend to have more occurrences of MS within their population than others as well. For instance, the Lapps of northern parts of Scandinavian countries and the Maoris of New Zealand both have extremely low rates of MS. Whereas people whose bloodlines can be traced back to someone who was considered to be a true Viking is more likely to be diagnosed with MS. People of Scottish descent also tend to be more susceptible to Multiple Sclerosis.
A person who has an immediate family member who is diagnosed with MS has an increased risk of developing the disease in the future. Although the percentage is relatively small with this genetic connection, the tie between childhood infections an MS seems to be strong. The Epstein-Barr virus seems to increase the possibility of a person developing MS, as does the herpes virus and having chicken pox as a child.
The Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence United States Records Show
The cases of MS in the United States are greater in the northern part than in the southern regions, with 10,000 new ones being reported each year. Nearly twice the number of northern US residents is affected by MS than in the south. MS is present in approximately 400,000 US citizens, making the prevalence an average of 1 in 700 of the population having MS. The National MS society keeps track of the number of cases of MS in the US, which is where these statistics came from.
Multiple Sclerosis prevalence UK reports suggest Scotland has a higher rate of MS than other parts of the UK and Wales has the lowest. For every 100,000 people, an average of 190 in Scotland have been diagnosed with MS, while the numbers for the Multiple Sclerosis prevalence in Wales are closer to 100 out of 100,000. These numbers for MS prevalence are constantly changing and hopefully they will decrease as MS research continues.
