Study Finds Different Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence According to Ethnic Group in Israel

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Study Finds Different Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence According to Ethnic

Group in Israel

ANA:

By Marvin Ross

TORONTO, ON -- October 5, 2004 -- An evaluation of multiple sclerosis

(MS) rates amongst Israel's various ethnic groups suggests that

lifestyle is an important risk factor for the development of this

disease.

The findings were presented here October 4th by Milton Alter, MD, PhD,

Department of Neurology, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, at the American Neurological Association 129th Annual

Meeting.

Dr. Alter said that Israel is a perfect population laboratory because

the country has well equipped hospitals, medical care is available to

all residents at a low cost, there is detailed census data available,

there has been a national MS registry since 1950, and the MS research

group obtains data from all hospitals in the country.

An evaluation of age adjusted MS prevalence per 100,000 population on

December 31, 2000 found significant differences among the various groups

in the country.

The highest rates of MS were found in both Israeli born and

European/American Jews at 56.7 and 54.8 per 100,000 population,

respectively. Arab Christians had a rate of 39.4 but Jews of African or

Middle Eastern birth had a rate of only 26.1/100,000. The groups with

the

lowest rates were Arab Moslems (13.1), Druze (8.9) and Bedouins (9.0).

Given that the geoclimatic conditions are the same for all groups, the

conclusion that the authors came to was that lifestyle factors may be

the reason for the difference in rates, particularly given the

difference between Israeli and western Jews versus Jews from the Middle

East, and the

differences between Christian Arabs and others.

" Western lifestyle may account for this difference, " the study authors

concluded, and suggested that the age at which childhood infections are

acquired may be a factor to the development of MS. They propose that

differences among the various ethnic groups may help identify the

environmental factor or factors that influence MS risk.

This study was supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

[Presentation title: " Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence in Israeli Ethnic

Groups: Evidence That Lifestyle Influences Risk. " Abstract 77]

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