Article Test

Today, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the leading non-traumatic causes of permanent neurological disability in young and middle-aged populations. A 2020 statistical survey figures show that it affects 2.8 million people worldwide. This figure corresponds to an average of 1/3000 people, which figure is likely to rise further. Globally, the median estimated prevalence of MS is approximately 36 per 100,000 according to the international data, with 2.9 million people living with MS in the World in 2023. Regionally, the estimated median prevalence of MS is highest in Europe and the Americas. Regional differences in incidence generally run parallel to prevalence. A median prevalence and incidence was reported for Eastern Mediterranean area and Middle East but in the last decades this has tended to change. Also the incidence has increased in Mediterranean islands, but not all. Its prevalence increased from 40 per 100,000 to 100 per 100,000 in Turkey while in Greece, Cyprus, Basra Gulf and Middle East in general, a similarly increasing trend was observed in the recent years. The highest prevalence rates were reported in Iran (148.06 per 100,000) and higher incidence rates were estimated at 6.88 per 100,000 population in Kuwait. The same inceasing can be seen in some parts of Russia and Western Asia. In fact, the increasing trend in incidence can be seen even in the Far East, in China and Japan, where the prevalence and incidence were originally low. The gender distribution of MS in the region is also tending to change in the recent years, with more females having MS. Of the various risk factors cited for multiple sclerosis, especially migration seems to an important risk factor for the region, although there are some exceptions.