Community study of multiple sclerosis in Bradford

The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis has informed us about the unique distribution of the disease worldwide and has helped to generate important hypotheses in order to understand more about the aetiology of the disease. Studies of the prevalence and the incidence of MS in the United Kingdom have contributed to this body of research. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology of MS in the multiethnic population in the Bradford Health Authority in West Yorkshire/UK and to investigate the phenotype of MS in the South Asian population. This population based study identified 344 people with MS on prevalence day 1st July 2008. The crude prevalence was 112.3/10. The prevalence in the non-South Asian population was 135.5/10 using the non-South Asian population as the denominator. The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the South Asian population was 46/10 using the South Asian population as the denominator. Using the 1961 population of Northern Ireland as the reference population the standardised prevalence was 121/10 (CI 108-134). When age-adjusted to the European and World Standard population, the prevalence was 123.7/10 (CI 110-137) and 111.1/10 (CI 99- 123) respectively. Thirty-seven people with MS of South Asian origin were clinically assessed and their Expanded Disability Status Scale scores and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score recorded. The overall severity of MS in this cohort appeared to be similar to that of the severity of MS in the UK. However, a significant number of patients experienced a rapid disease progression at a young age. Our observations indicate a potentially more severe clinical course in the South Asian population with MS suggesting the need for future well-designed studies in order to confirm or refute these results.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo