Angel Chinea1, Carlos F Ríos-Bedoya2, Ivonne Vicente1, Cristina Rubí3, Guillermo García3, Ana Rivera3, Astrid Díaz3, Eduardo Estades Romero4, Yatzka Hernández Silvestrini5, Yaritza Díaz6. 1. San Juan MS Center, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico. 2. Hurley Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Flint, Michigan, USA. 3. San Juan MS Center, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. 4. San Juan MS Center, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Christiana Care Health System, Diagnostic Radiology, Newark, New Jersey, USA. 5. San Juan MS Center, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, University of Delaware, College of Health Science and Behavioral Health and Nutrition, Newark, New Jersey, USA. 6. San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been increasing worldwide over the past decades. However, this upward trend has not been examined at the country level in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The aims of this study are to examine trends of MS incidence over 4 years and to provide age- and gender-standardized incidence rate estimates for a Caribbean island. METHODS: Data from the Puerto Rico (PR) MS Foundation's registry was used to identify all newly diagnosed MS cases between 2013 and 2016. MS patients were 18 years and older and met the 2010 revised McDonald criteria. Age- and gender-standardized incidence rates were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 583 new MS cases were diagnosed in PR from 2013 to 2016. The age- and gender-standardized MS incidence rate for PR increased from 6.1/100,000 in 2013 to 6.7/100,000 in 2016. The annual age-standardized MS incidence rates for females rose from 8.4/100,000 in 2013 to 9.8/100,000 in 2016 and were higher than males, which remained around 3.7/100,000. CONCLUSION: Incidence estimates for PR were higher than other LAC countries but consistent with MS increases in other world regions. Our findings tend to rule out several prior potential environmental explanations for high MS incidence rates.
BACKGROUND: The incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been increasing worldwide over the past decades. However, this upward trend has not been examined at the country level in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The aims of this study are to examine trends of MS incidence over 4 years and to provide age- and gender-standardized incidence rate estimates for a Caribbean island. METHODS: Data from the Puerto Rico (PR) MS Foundation's registry was used to identify all newly diagnosed MS cases between 2013 and 2016. MS patients were 18 years and older and met the 2010 revised McDonald criteria. Age- and gender-standardized incidence rates were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 583 new MS cases were diagnosed in PR from 2013 to 2016. The age- and gender-standardized MS incidence rate for PR increased from 6.1/100,000 in 2013 to 6.7/100,000 in 2016. The annual age-standardized MS incidence rates for females rose from 8.4/100,000 in 2013 to 9.8/100,000 in 2016 and were higher than males, which remained around 3.7/100,000. CONCLUSION: Incidence estimates for PR were higher than other LAC countries but consistent with MS increases in other world regions. Our findings tend to rule out several prior potential environmental explanations for high MS incidence rates.
Authors: A H Beecham; L Amezcua; A Chinea; C P Manrique; C Rubi; N Isobe; B T Lund; A Santaniello; G W Beecham; E G Burchard; M Comabella; N Patsopoulos; K Fitzgerald; P A Calabresi; P De Jager; D V Conti; S R Delgado; J R Oksenberg; J L McCauley Journal: Mult Scler Date: 2019-08-01 Impact factor: 5.855
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