The estimated US national multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence for 2010 is the highest reported to date and provides evidence that the north-south gradient persists, according to a recent study. A validated algorithm was applied to private, military, and public agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) datasets to identify adult cases of MS between 2008 and 2010. In each dataset, researchers determined the 3-year cumulative prevalence overall and stratified by age, sex, and census region. They applied insurance-specific and stratum-specific estimates to the 2010 US Census data and pooled the findings to calculate the 2010 prevalence of MS in the US cumulated over 3 years. They also estimated the 2010 prevalence cumulated over 10 years using 2 models and extrapolated their estimate to 2017. They found:
- The estimated 2010 prevalence of MS in the US adult population cumulated over 10 years was 309.2 per 100,000, representing 727,344 cases.
- During the same time period, the MS prevalence was 450.1 per 100,000 for women and 159.7 for men (female:male ratio 2:8).
- The estimated 2010 prevalence of MS was highest in the 55- to 64-year age group.
- A US north-south decreasing prevalence gradient was identified.
Wallin MT, Culpepper WJ, Campbell JD, et al. The prevalence of MS in the United States. A population-based estimate using health claims data. [Published online ahead of print February 15, 2019]. Neurology. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000007035.