Multiple Sclerosis Epidemiology in East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common chronic immune-mediated diseases of the human central nervous system and an important cause of non-traumatic neurologic disability among young population in several countries. Recent reports from East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia have proposed a low to moderate prevalence of MS in these countries. Methods: A literature review search was carried out in December 2014 in Medline, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane library to recover original population-based studies on MS epidemiology in East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia countries published between January 1, 1950 and December 30, 2014. We intended search strategies using the key words: multiple sclerosis, prevalence, incidence and epidemiology. Based on our inclusion criteria, 68 epidemiologic studies were included in this systematic review. Results: The most extensively used diagnostic criteria in the studies were McDonald's criteria. Most studies were performed in a multi-center hospital setting. The female to male ratio varied and ranged from 0.7 in India to 9.0 in China. The mean age at disease onset ranged from the lowest age of 25.3 in Iran to the highest age of 46.4 in China. MS prevalence ranged from 0.77 in 100,000 populations in Hong Kong (1999) to 85.80 in 100,000 in Iran (2013). Conclusions: Advances in MS registries around the globe allow nationwide population-based studies and will allow worldly comparisons between the prevalence and incidence in different regions that are provided to monitor estimation.

Multiple Sclerosis Incidence and Prevalence Trends in the Province of Padua, Northeast Italy, 1965–2018

“…A similar increase has also been recorded in regions previously considered at low-risk for MS, like Middle-East [18][19][20] and South and East Asia [21]. This worldwide trend seems not to be related to the increased survival of MS patients due to more effective treatments, better management of symptoms and comorbidities, and/or to an earlier diagnosis of MS. As a matter of fact, the slopes of MS incidence and prevalence have significantly changed in the second part of the 20th century strongly pointing out the role of exogenous/environmental agents in determining the risk of MS. Interestingly, the mortality rate did not significantly change over the last 3 decades.…”

The Genetics of Multiple Sclerosis: From 0 to 200 in 50 Years

“…Africans and Asians), in some cases irrespective of geographic location. Remarkably, the prevalence of MS appears to have steadily increased over the past century; this increase has apparently occurred primarily in women [16–18] and in regions previously considered low-incidence [19, 20]. The higher prevalence rates (140–250 per 100,000) are still found in northern Europeans and in whites living in the northern US and Canada [2, 21].…”

Association of nod‐like receptor protein‐3 single nucleotide gene polymorphisms and expression with the susceptibility to relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

“…Women are affected with MS about twice more than men (Dendrou, Fugger, & Friese, ). Prevalence rate of MS has been significantly increased during recent years in the world and Iran (Eskandarieh, Heydarpour, Minagar, Pourmand, & Sahraian, ; Etemadifar et al, ).…”