BACKGROUND: Israel has served for almost half a century as a site for epidemiologic studies of multiple sclerosis (MS). Its small geographic size, well-equipped, accessible, and subsidized health facilities, trained physicians, detailed census data, and a National MS Register, maintained since 1960, offer advantages for accurate determinations of MS frequency in its diverse populations. METHOD: The authors calculated age-specific prevalence of MS in Israeli-born Jewish inhabitants, immigrant Jews from Europe/America and from North Africa/Asia, Israeli-born Christian and Moslem Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins. RESULTS: Prevalence rate of MS per 10(5) population on June 30, 2000, for each of these groups in the order listed was 61.6, 53.7, and 27.9 for the Jewish groups and 35.3, 14.7, 10.9, and 17.3 for the non-Jewish groups. Three tiers in MS prevalence were apparent. The highest rates were in Israeli-born Jews and in Jewish immigrants from Europe/America (significantly higher in the former than the latter). Jewish immigrants from African/Asian countries and Christian Arabs had intermediate MS rates (significantly lower than in the first two groups but not significantly different from each other). Moslem Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins had the lowest rates of MS (significantly lower than in the intermediate group but not significantly different from each other). CONCLUSION: Diverse ethnic groups living in the same geographic area may have significantly different frequencies of MS.
BACKGROUND: Israel has served for almost half a century as a site for epidemiologic studies of multiple sclerosis (MS). Its small geographic size, well-equipped, accessible, and subsidized health facilities, trained physicians, detailed census data, and a National MS Register, maintained since 1960, offer advantages for accurate determinations of MS frequency in its diverse populations. METHOD: The authors calculated age-specific prevalence of MS in Israeli-born Jewish inhabitants, immigrant Jews from Europe/America and from North Africa/Asia, Israeli-born Christian and Moslem Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins. RESULTS: Prevalence rate of MS per 10(5) population on June 30, 2000, for each of these groups in the order listed was 61.6, 53.7, and 27.9 for the Jewish groups and 35.3, 14.7, 10.9, and 17.3 for the non-Jewish groups. Three tiers in MS prevalence were apparent. The highest rates were in Israeli-born Jews and in Jewish immigrants from Europe/America (significantly higher in the former than the latter). Jewish immigrants from African/Asian countries and Christian Arabs had intermediate MS rates (significantly lower than in the first two groups but not significantly different from each other). Moslem Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins had the lowest rates of MS (significantly lower than in the intermediate group but not significantly different from each other). CONCLUSION: Diverse ethnic groups living in the same geographic area may have significantly different frequencies of MS.
Authors: S-M Orton; L Wald; C Confavreux; S Vukusic; J P Krohn; S V Ramagopalan; B M Herrera; A D Sadovnick; G C Ebers Journal: Neurology Date: 2011-02-01 Impact factor: 9.910
Authors: JoEllen Jarrett Jamison; Junling Wang; Satya Surbhi; Samantha Adams; David Solomon; Kenneth C Hohmeier; Sharon McDonough; James C Eoff Journal: Divers Equal Health Care Date: 2016-08-23
Authors: Carlos Riveros; Drew Mellor; Kaushal S Gandhi; Fiona C McKay; Mathew B Cox; Regina Berretta; S Yahya Vaezpour; Mario Inostroza-Ponta; Simon A Broadley; Robert N Heard; Stephen Vucic; Graeme J Stewart; David W Williams; Rodney J Scott; Jeanette Lechner-Scott; David R Booth; Pablo Moscato Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-12-01 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Pouya Khankhanian; Takuya Matsushita; Lohith Madireddy; Antoine Lizée; Lennox Din; Jayaji M Moré; Pierre-Antoine Gourraud; Stephen L Hauser; Sergio E Baranzini; Jorge R Oksenberg Journal: BMC Med Genet Date: 2015-07-28 Impact factor: 2.103