Multiple Sclerosis Foundation applauds new prevalence study for MS

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Oct. 26, 2017 - PRLog -- Preliminary results from a new study identified nearly 1 million people living with MS in the United States. This is more than twice the previously reported number, which was a result of a 1975 national study.

As the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation website states, experts have long doubted the accuracy of the estimate of 400,000 affected by MS in the United States, "since this estimate was based on scientific research done to establish the prevalence of MS before MRI was introduced as a diagnostic method and before any disease-modifying treatments were approved for use. With these advancements, it is likely that more people are being accurately diagnosed, and that people with MS are living longer. For this reason, it has for some time been considered likely that the number of individuals affected by MS may be significantly higher."

"The underreporting of MS is a cause for serious concern," says Jules Kuperberg, co-executive director of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Diseases that affect fewer people than others may be considered a lower priority for funding by government agencies and private foundations that support research and support services. These new results indicate that research and assistance programs may be severely underfunded. Kuperberg adds, "We applaud this effort to accurately establish the prevalence of MS, and we are confident that it will ultimately improve the ability of our government, insurers, and others to adequately support of the MS community."

The study was presented at the seventh joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting in Paris. Publication of the study is expected in 2018.

About Us: The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, known in the MS community as MS Focus, is a nonprofit organization focused on providing free services that address the critical needs of people with MS, helping them maintain the best quality of life. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, MS Focus provides services throughout the United States and its territories. Learn more or support our work at http://www.msfocus.org.