Epidemiology of Multiple Sclerosis (Ms) in Military Personnel: Demographic Study in Iran Publisher



Asgari A¹ ; Ostovan VR² ; Mehrabi F³
Source: Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal Published:2015

Abstract

We investigated the epidemiology and demographic features of multiple sclerosis in military personnel and their family members. Demographic and clinical records of 122 MS patients based on the revised Mc-Donald criteria were reviewed, which included; age, sex, marital status, presenting symptoms, type of disease, disability status and frequency of relapses. Out of 122 cases, seventy-seven were females and forty-five males. The female/male ratio was 1.7. The mean age at onset of disease was 29.9±6.2 for all of the patients. The mean duration of illness was 6.17±4.5. The majority of patients(60%) had relapsing-remitting pattern. Average disability was 3.4±2.45(3.06±2.34 in females and 3.59±2.53 in males, P=0.03) on the Kurtzke disability status scale. There was no difference in epidemiologic and demographic features of multiple sclerosis between military personnel and their families and general population, therefore it seemed that military status had no important role in the prevalence of multiple sclerosis and rate of disability.