Who is prone to ms

There are many ideas about who is likely to get multiple sclerosis MS. The disease is not contagious or directly inherited, but scientists have identified factors that may be associated with risk for MS. These include gender, genetics, age, geography, and ethnic background. MS occurs in different ethnic groups. However, the most common ethnic group affected by MS is white people with Northern European ancestry.

However, prevalence rates may differ significantly among groups living in the same geographic area regardless of distance from the equator. Gender: The recent prevalence study shows MS is three times more common in women than in men, suggesting that hormones may also play a significant role in determining susceptibility to MS. Susceptibility rates vary among these groups, with recent findings suggesting that Black women have a higher than previously reported risk of developing MS.

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In the United States today, there are about , people with multiple sclerosis MS , and more people are diagnosed every week. Worldwide, MS is thought to affect more than 2. While the disease is not contagious or directly inherited, epidemiologists — the scientists who study patterns of disease — have identified factors in the distribution of MS around the world that may eventually help determine causes of the disease.

These factors include gender, genetics, age, geography and ethnic background. While more people are being diagnosed with MS today than in the past, epidemiologists have found no evidence to suggest that the disease is on the increase.

More likely explanations include a greater awareness of the disease, improved medical care and more effective tools for making the diagnosis.

With RRMS, symptoms can change, affecting different areas of the body, or disappear remit and then recur relapse. Inflammation plays a role in MS, and obesity is linked to inflammation. Mowry says that the rising incidence of MS among women may relate to body fat. Obesity is epidemic in the U. Women typically carry more fat on their bodies than men, and obesity rates are higher for women as well. Belly fat, in particular, is associated with increased inflammation.

Carrying extra body weight may be especially risky for women. Calabresi, Mowry and their team are leading the research effort on the role of vitamin D in MS.