Article Date: 07 May 2013 –
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is more common in black women than in white women, according a new study.
The research was conducted by Kaiser Permanente and was published in the journal Neurology. The results contradict the widely believed notion that black people are less vulnerable to the disease.
The electronic health records of over 3.5 million members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California were analyzed from the beginning of 2008 to the end 2011. A total of 496 patients newly diagnosed with MS were identified.
Of these new cases, black patients had a 47% greater likelihood of MS compared to white patients. Results also showed that Hispanics had a 50% reduced risk compared to white patients, and Asians had a 80% lower chance than whites.
Seventy percent of MS cases occurred among females, the researchers said. However, “this preponderance of females diagnosed was more pronounced among black patients than white patients.”
Black females had an increased prevalence of multiple sclerosis compared to both white males and females, the authors pointed out. Black men, on the other hand, had a comparable probability of MS risk to white men.
Additionally, the reduced risk among Hispanic and Asian patients was true for both males and females.
Read More
..
