Making Sure Multiple Sclerosis Counts and Is Counted for All

Physicians have long been taught that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease predominantly affecting people of European ancestry, especially those who identify as White. There are many factors that have contributed to this error, including the fact that early epidemiologic studies in MS focused heavily on areas with significant White populations, and data regarding racial or ethnic identity were not routinely collected or evaluated. In the 1970s, MS was called the “white man’s burden spread from western Europe.” These teachings likely compounded underascertainment of MS and compounded existing limitations in access to specialized medical care and later magnetic resonance imaging for people from underrepresented communities. In the US, the changing demog raphic characteristics of the population as a whole over the last 100 years have contributed to increased recognition of MS in Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern patients.
Source: JAMA Neurology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research