MS in Black People More Common Than Previously Thought
TOPLINE:
United States residents continue to have the highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, new data show the disease is becoming more racially diverse, with a higher prevalence in Black people than previously thought.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers applied a validated case-finding algorithm to health claims datasets from private, military, and public (Medicaid and Medicare) insurance programs
They calculated the cumulative 2010 prevalence of MS from healthcare use by 96 million adults from 2008 to 2010
They stratified results by age, sex, race, and ethnicity, and looked at prevalence in different geographic regions of the US
TAKEAWAY:
Researchers identified 744,781 subjects with MS (76% female, 24% male). Participants aged 45-54 years made up nearly a third (31%) of the group, followed by those aged 55-64 years (25%), and those aged 35-44 (21%)
White individuals were the largest group, comprising 77% of the total; Black patients made up 10%, Hispanics 7%, and “other” category 4%
The estimated prevalence per 100,000, was highest for Whites at 374.8 (95% CI, 373.8 – 375.8), followed by Blacks (298.4; 95% CI, 296.4 – 300.5), a prevalence higher than previously reported, then non-Hispanic other groups (197.7; 95% CI, 195.6 – 199.9), and Hispanics (regardless of race) at 161.2 (95% CI, 159.8 – 162.5)
The prevalence of MS was higher in the Northeast and Midwest US compared with the South and West regions, with the effect of latitude apparently most prominent in Black people, women, and older individuals.
The female to male ratio was 2.9 overall with the highest ratio among 45- to 54-year-olds
IN PRACTICE:
“In the United States, MS has become more prevalent and demographically diverse” the investigators write, adding the new data “are important for clinicians, researchers, and policy makers.”
STUDY DETAILS:
The study was conducted by researchers at Stanford University; Department of Veterans Affairs Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence; University of Maryland School of Medicine; Southern California Permanente Medical Group; University of Manitoba; University of Alabama at Birmingham; McKing Consulting Corporation; and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It was published online May 15 in JAMA Neurology.
LIMITATIONS:
A lack of consistency in coding of race and ethnicity in some datasets. The analysis did not include data for children, the Indian Health Service, the US prison system, or undocumented US residents.
DISCLOSURES:
The investigators report no relevant financial relationships. The study was funded by a grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Data for the project were accessed using the Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences Data Core, which is supported by a National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Science Clinical and Translational Science Award and internal Stanford funding.
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