Registry-Based Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Southwestern Iran, 2001-2014

Abstract

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults. It is estimated that more than two million people have MS worldwide. This study aimed to assess the incidence of MS and its associated factors in Shiraz, Southwestern Iran. Data related to the inci-dence of MS were obtained from the MS center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from 2001 to 2014. The study participants were all residents of Shiraz. The subjects were diagnosed with MS by neurologists (all newly diagnosed patients from 2001-2014) and were registered in MS center to receive treatment. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate Poisson re-gression analysis were done. During the study period, 2637 eligible patients were identified. The highest incidence of MS occurred in 2011 and 2012 (17.62, 95% CI: 8.02-38.72 and 16.92, 95% CI: 6.23-45.88 per 100,000 respectively). Besides, the female to male ratio was 2.95 and 44.71% of the MS patients (1070 cases) were in the 20-30 years age group. In addition, the mean age of the patients was 30.18±8.86 years. The results showed a significant difference among different age and sex groups regarding the incidence of MS (p=0.01). Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between education level and incidence of MS (p=0.03). The incidence of MS has in-creased in the south of Iran more than other regions.