FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Multiple
sclerosis risk influenced by childhood environment
Study
of children and adults sheds new light on mysterious disease
Toronto,
May 24, 2006 – The Multiple Sclerosis Society
of Canada announced findings from a Canadian study that shows
the risk of MS may be influenced by place of residence during
childhood rather than ancestry. The study results were published
in a recent edition of Neuroepidemiology.
The
study puts into question the belief that MS is a disease targeted
primarily at Caucasians or those with ancestral ties to areas
north of the equator such as Northern Europe.
The
study involved 44 children and 573 adults from the paediatric
MS clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children and the adult
MS clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital, both located in
Toronto.
“By
comparing study results with census data, we found that the
MS population has become more multicultural as immigration to
Ontario has increased,” explains Dr. Brenda Banwell, director
of the paediatric MS clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children
and principal investigator for the study. “This adds
great credence to our theory that childhood residence, more
than ancestry, is a major determinant of MS risk.”
The
adult MS clinic population examined showed most of the patients,
upwards of 90 percent, reported European heritage. Data from
the 1971 census, obtained when most of the adult MS patients
were growing up in Ontario, showed 84 percent of residents of
Ontario were of European ancestry.
Meanwhile,
paediatric MS patients were more likely to report Caribbean,
Middle Eastern or Asian ancestry, accurately mirroring the population
shift as detailed by the 2001 census.
“The
common thread in all of this is that 100 percent of the paediatric
population and 79 percent of the adult population grew up in
Ontario,” says Dr. Banwell. “This, combined with
the ancestry data, suggests a prevailing influence of environment
on MS risk.”
According
to the MS Society, this is an important study because the relative
contributions of ancestry, country of birth and residence as
determinants of MS risk have never been explored in the paediatric
MS population.
“The
change in immigration patterns, and the presence of well-established
paediatric and adult MS programs, provided researchers with
the unique opportunity to evaluate these factors as determinants
of MS risk,” says Dr. William J. McIlroy, national medical
advisor for the MS Society of Canada. “The more complete
a picture we can paint of MS and its risk factors, the closer
we will be to finding the cause, and ultimately, the cure.”
The
study was funded by the MS Scientific Research Foundation which
receives the majority of its funding from the MS Society of
Canada.
About
multiple sclerosis and the MS Society of Canada
MS
is an unpredictable and often disabling disease of the brain
and spinal cord. Symptoms vary from person-to-person but
include tingling, vision problems and even paralysis. MS
can occur at any age but it is usually diagnosed between
the ages of 15 and 40, when people are finishing school,
building careers and establishing families. With an estimated
55,000 – 75,000 people living
with the disease and three more diagnosed each day, Canada
has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. The impact
of MS is far-reaching as one in two Canadians knows someone
with MS.
The
MS Society of Canada is almost entirely self-funded and is the
largest per-capita supporter of MS research in the world. The
mission of the MS Society is to be a leader in finding a cure
for multiple sclerosis and enabling people affected by MS to
enhance their quality of life.
For
more information
Stewart
Wong
National Manager, Media Relations
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
Telephone: (416) 967-3025
stewart.wong@mssociety.ca
www.mssociety.ca
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