Who gets multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis can occur at any age. It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 to 40, during the career and family building years. It can also make its first appearance in young children and in older adults. MS is more than twice as likely to occur in women than in men and is seen most commonly in people of northern European background.
You have a slightly higher chance of getting MS if you have a close relative with the disorder. But it is not truly inherited in the general population. Researchers think there is a 1 or 2 per 1000 chance of getting MS. However, in families where MS already exists, the risk of another family member getting the condition is about 6 in 1000. This seems like a higher risk, but it is not thought to be a major reason for getting MS.
Doctors often speak of the "natural history" of MS - the usual course of the disease. Does biology dictate your destiny or can the future be changed? The editor of the latest msdialogue® explores the question: will treatment improve your prospects down the road?
This magazine entitled "What Does the Future hold?" is available on the MSWatch.ca website. This magazine can be accessed by clicking on the MSUniversity® tab. Then, click on "Library" in the left side menu. You will see all the available categories of publications. Select "msdialogue" and a list of publications will appear. Select
"msdialogue - volume 7, no. 3 - What Does the Future hold?"
I hope you will enjoy this magazine.