Prevalence
Approximately 2 million people in the world suffer from multiple sclerosis and of those, more than 400,000 are from the United States Tumefactive multiple sclerosis cases make up 1 to 2 of every 1000 multiple sclerosis cases. Of those cases, there is a higher percentage of females affected than males. The median age of onset is 37 years.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there are some factors that have been associated with an increased risk of MS. They include gender, ethnicity and geographic location. Based on epidemiological studies, there are about 3 times more female MS patients than male patients, indicating a possibility of an increased risk due to hormones. Among different ethnic groups, MS is the most common among Caucasians and seems to have a greater incidence at latitudes above 40° as compared to at the equator. While these associations have been made, it is still unclear how they result in an increased risk of MS onset.
Read more about this topic: Tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis
Famous quotes containing the word prevalence:
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—Philip Norman, British author, journalist. The Life and Good Times of the Rolling Stones, introduction (1989)
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—Havelock Ellis (1859–1939)