Every week in the U.S., about 200 people are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or MS. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, four times as many women have MS as men, and more and more women are developing it.
MS is a female predominant disease. That being said, 25% of MS individuals are male. There are very interesting sex differences when you focus on men. Men are less likely to develop MS, but if they do, they are more likely to develop PPMS.
Women typically carry more fat on their bodies than men, and belly fat, in particular, is associated with increased inflammation. In addition, the inflammation chemicals in women's bodies are different from those in men, which may contribute.
MS is not directly inherited from parent to child. There's no single gene that causes it. Over 200 genes might affect your chances of getting MS.
It's most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s although it can develop at any age. It's about 2 to 3 times more common in women than men. MS is one of the most common causes of disability in younger adults.
The prevalence of MS in Australia has increased from 103.7 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 131.1 per 100,000 people in 2021. This increase in prevalence is most likely due to changes in exposure to known MS risk factors.
The disease has been linked to a number of risk factors, including smoking and stress. But more studies are also pointing to the roles of female hormones, vitamin D, inflammation and even obesity.
your genes – MS isn't directly inherited, but people who are related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it; the chance of a sibling or child of someone with MS also developing it is estimated to be around 2 to 3 in 100.
MS can appear at any age but most commonly manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects women two to three times as often as men. Almost one million people in the United States have MS, making it one of the most common causes of neurological disability among young adults in North America.
Age: Doctors diagnose most people with MS between the ages of 20 and 50, but young children and older adults also get it. MS in children is rare. In the U.S., fewer than 5,000 kids have it, while globally that number rises a bit to 10,000. Children only get one type of MS: Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS).
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has a strong racial and ethnic component and disproportionately affects whites of European background. Recent incidence reports suggest an increasing rate of MS among African Americans compared with whites.
The inheritance pattern of multiple sclerosis is unknown, although the condition does appear to be passed down through generations in families. The risk of developing multiple sclerosis is higher for siblings or children of a person with the condition than for the general population.
Multiple sclerosis itself is not usually lethal, but it can increase the risk of long-term complications, such as infections or trouble swallowing, that can potentially shorten survival. On average, longevity is about five to 10 years shorter in people with MS.
Early MS symptoms may include blurred vision, numbness, dizziness, muscle weakness, and coordination issues. MS is progressive and can worsen over time. Eventually, the disease can do damage directly to the nerves, causing permanent disability.
Can I have multiple sclerosis for years and not know it? Yes. MS can go undetected for years. Research has suggested that many patients experience MS-related symptoms and signs several years before receiving a definite diagnosis of the disease.
People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.
Blood Tests: Currently, there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, but they can be used to rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Your doctor will refer you to a neurologist. They will examine you to check how different parts of your nervous system are working. A combination of tests is used to diagnose MS. The best test is an MRI of your brain and spinal cord to detect areas of damage.
Can stress cause MS? Some people with MS feel that they developed MS as a direct result of some stressful event or trauma. The evidence on this connection is mixed. Some studies do see an effect whilst others don't.
Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days.