Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Europe: A Review

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive demyelinating and degenerative disease of the CNS with symptoms dependent on the type of the disease and the site of lesions. During the progression of the disease, symptoms become more permanent and progressive disability ensues. MS is a disease characterized by wide variations between patients, thus making categorization difficult. The aim of the current study was to review the existing epidemiological data of MS in Europe published during the last decade (2000-2009), using PubMed. Findings revealed an increasing incidence of MS during the last decade. Recent data indicate that latitude does not play a key role in determining the onset of the disease. MS has a significant impact on the quality of life for most patients over many years. The disease is twice as common inwomen than in men, and is at its peak in the most economically productive years of life. Pregnancy, postpartum status and vaccines may influence the onset and the course of the disease. Only one of the reviewed papers provides a view of progression from onset to death.

A nationwide evaluation of off-label drug utilization in Turkey

“…It is an interesting finding that although drug use is common in the elderly (25,26), we found a lower OLDU rate for this age group in our study. On the other hand, the overbalance of offlabel use in young adults and children and the female predominance in the applications could be associated with the nature of the most common diagnoses found in this study, such as SLE, MS, and other PHD (27)(28)(29). UHs are tertiary healthcare centers that have the healthcare service capacity to treat more serious illnesses and embody specific subspecialties.…”

Fatigue, Sleep Quality, and Disability in Relation to Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis

“…The mean annual MS incidence rate in Europe is 4.3 cases per 100,000. 1 Quality of life (QOL) is substantially impaired in people with MS compared with the general population. 2 Studies have shown that individuals with MS have lower overall and disease-specific QOL scores than healthy individuals and populations with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, epilepsy, and rheumatoid arthritis.…”

Using the WHOQOL-DIS to Measure Quality of Life in Persons with Physical Disabilities Caused by Neurodegenerative Disorders

“…Neurodegenerative disorders (ND), such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), have a major impact on quality of life (QoL), and are the second leading cause of disability [1,2,3]. MS is the most common neurological disorder in younger adults of Caucasian origin [1].…”