Prevalence and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain

Aladro, Yolanda; Alemany, Magda; Pérez-Vieitez, M.C.; Amela, R.; Conde, Mônica Tilli Reis Pessoa; Reyes, Marleen; Álamo, Fayna; Ángel-Moreno, Alfonso

doi:10.1159/000081052

Cited by 40 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…These figures place western Greece in the high-risk area and are higher than reported previously for Greece [8,[10][11][12] , but close to those reported recently for Sicily [6] (165.8/100,000) and Catania [22] (92.0/100,000) in southern Italy, Genoa [23] (94.0/100,000) in northwestern Italy, Istanbul [24] (101.4/100,000) in Turkey, and the Canary Islands, Spain [25] (77.5/100,000). The prevalence of MS in Greece rose significantly from 10.1/100,000 as recorded in 1984 [10] to 29.5/100,000 in 1990 in northern Greece [12] and to 38.9/100,000 in Evros on December 31, 1999 [8] and to 119.61/100,000 on December 31, 2006 in western Greece.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Prevalence and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Western Greece: A 23-Year Survey

Papathanasopoulos

Gourzoulidou²,

Messinis³

et al. 2008

Neuroepidemiology

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Background: The frequency of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Greece remains speculative, as data from many parts are still lacking. Objective: To estimate trends in MS prevalence and annual incidence in western Greece from January 1, 1984 to December 31, 2006. Methods: Patients were identified from the patient records of the Department of Neurology at Patras University Hospital in Rion-Patras. Only patients with a definite MS diagnosis according to Poser’s criteria and retrospective application of the McDonald’s criteria were included. We calculated age- and sex-specific prevalence rates for patients living in the study area on December 31, 2006. Annual incidence rates were calculated for the period 1984–2006. Results: The crude prevalence rate of definite MS cases increased significantly in 23 years from 10.1/100,000 recorded in northeastern Greece in 1984 to 119.61/100,000 on December 31, 2006 in western Greece for the 780 cases still alive. The mean annual incidence rate increased from 2.71/100,000 recorded during the period 1984–1989 to 10.73/100,000 in the 5-year period of 2002–2006. Conclusion: The prevalence rates were higher than expected, but closer than in previous surveys conducted in Greece to those reported recently in Sicily and Istanbul. These findings place the area in the high-risk zone.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Prevalence and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Western Greece: A 23-Year Survey

Papathanasopoulos

Gourzoulidou²,

Messinis³

et al. 2008

Neuroepidemiology

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“…) Generally, lower MS prevalence rates have been reported in the lower latitudes. The rates reported for Spain fit this pattern, with estimates ranging between 0.04 and 0.08 [2,3,4,5], versus rates of approximately 0.15 in Ireland, Norway and Sweden [6,7]. Age at onset is typically 20 to 40 years, and women are more affected.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Costs and quality of life of multiple sclerosis in Spain

Kobelt¹,

Berg²,

Lindgren³

et al. 2006

Eur J Health Econ

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This cost-of-illness analysis is based on information from 1.848 patients in Spain and is part of a Europe-wide study on the costs of multiple sclerosis. The objective was to analyze the costs and quality of life (QOL) related to the level of disease severity and progression. Patients were identified by the Asociación Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (AEDEM) and participated in the survey by answering a mail questionnaire (response rate 31.8%). In addition to details on the disease (type of disease, relapses, level of functional disability), the questionnaire asked for information on all resource consumption, medical, non-medical, work absence and informal care, as well as utility (QOL). The mean age of the cohort was 45 years, and only 5.5% of patients were 65 years of age or more. Approximately 36% of patients had mild disease (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score of 0-3), 44.8% had moderate disease (EDSS score of 4-6.5) and 17.7% had severe disease (EDSS score > or =7). The mean EDSS score in the sample was 4.5 (median 5.0), with a utility of 0.554. Costs and utility are highly correlated with disease severity. Workforce participation decreases from around 70% in early disease to less than 5% in the very late stages. Hospitalization is very infrequent in early disease, representing less than euro 1.300 per patient per year for patients at EDSS scores <6, but increases steeply for patients at scores > or =7. Ambulatory care increases fivefold between early and late disease, while investments and services increase from basically no cost to just over euro 6.000 at EDSS scores > or =7. Productivity losses increase more than eightfold, and informal care increases from euro 593 at EDSS scores of 0-1 to nearly euro 34.228 at scores of 8-9. Hence, total mean costs per patient are driven by the distribution of the severity levels in the sample, increasing from euro 10.425 at EDSS scores of 0-1 to euro 45.264 at a score of 7, and euro 65.693 at scores of 8-9. The same is true for utility, which decreases from 0.865 to 0.084 as patients progress from the mildest to the most severe disability levels. However, the utility loss compared to the age- and gender-matched general population is high at all levels of the disease ( approximately 0.25 in patients below 30 years of age with an EDSS score of 2-3, and approximately 0.4 in patients over 60 years of age and a score of > or =6), leading to an estimated annual loss of 0.276 quality-adjusted life-year per patient. Relapses for patients with an EDSS score below 5 are associated with a cost of approximately euro 2.750 and a utility loss of 0.1 during the quarter in which they occur.

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“…The Spanish studies included 11 conducted on the mainland [14,106-115], three from the Canary Islands [12,116,117] and one from the island of Menorca [118]. No studies incorporated the entire country of either Spain or Portugal.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Europe: a systematic review

et al. 2013

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BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults worldwide and approximately half of those affected are in Europe. The assessment of differential incidence and prevalence across populations can reveal spatial, temporal and demographic patterns which are important for identifying genetic and environmental factors contributing to MS. However, study methodologies vary and the quality of the methods can influence the estimates. This study aimed to systematically review European studies of incidence and prevalence of MS and to provide a quantitative assessment of their methodological quality.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed to obtain all original population-based studies of MS incidence and prevalence in European populations conducted and published between January 1985 and January 2011. Only peer-reviewed full-text articles published in English or French were included. All abstracts were screened for eligibility and two trained reviewers abstracted the data and graded the quality of each study using a tool specifically designed for this study.ResultsThere were 123 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The study estimates were highly heterogeneous, even within regions or countries. Quality was generally higher in the more recent studies, which also tended to use current diagnostic criteria. Prevalence and incidence estimates tended to be higher in the more recent studies and were higher in the Nordic countries and in northern regions of the British Isles. With rare exceptions, prevalence and incidence estimates were higher in women with ratios as high as 3:1. Few studies examined ethnicity. Epidemiological data at the national level was uncommon and there were marked geographical disparities in available data, with large areas of Europe unrepresented and other regions well-represented in the literature. Only 37% of the studies provided standardized estimates.ConclusionsDespite the breadth of the literature on the epidemiology of MS in Europe, inter-study comparisons are hampered by the lack of standardization. Further research should focus on regions not yet studied and the evaluation of ethnic differences in MS prevalence and incidence. National-level studies using current diagnostic criteria, validated case definitions and similar age- and sex-standardization would allow better geographical comparisons.

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Prevalence and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain

Cited by 40 publications

References 50 publications

Prevalence and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Western Greece: A 23-Year Survey

Prevalence and Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Western Greece: A 23-Year Survey

Costs and quality of life of multiple sclerosis in Spain

Incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Europe: a systematic review

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