Multiple Sclerosis Statistics on Age
Most people experience their first
symptoms of multiple sclerosis (
MS) between the ages of 20 and 40, but a diagnosis is often delayed. This is due to both the transitory nature of the disease and the lack of a specific test to diagnose
multiple sclerosis.
Although scientists have documented cases of MS in young children and elderly adults, symptoms rarely begin before age 15 or after age 60. Whites are more than twice as likely as other races to develop MS. In general, women are affected almost twice as much as men; however, among patients who develop the
symptoms of MS at a later age, the gender ratio is more balanced.
Multiple Sclerosis Statistics on Actual Numbers
No one knows exactly how many people have MS. It is believed that there are currently about 250,000 to 350,000 people in the United States who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This estimate suggests that approximately 200 new cases are diagnosed each week.
Multiple Sclerosis Statistics on Location
MS is five times more prevalent in temperate climates -- such as those found in the northern United States, Canada, and Europe -- than in tropical regions.
Furthermore, the age of 15 seems to be significant in terms of risk for developing the disease. Some studies indicate that a person moving from a high-risk (temperate) to a low-risk (tropical) area before the age of 15 tends to adopt the risk (in this case, low) of the new area and vice versa. Other studies suggest that people moving after age 15 maintain the risk of the area where they grew up.
