Titre du document / Document title

Progressive increase in incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Newcastle, Australia: a 35-year study

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

BARNETT M. H. ^{(1 2)} ; WILLIAMS D. B. ⁽³⁾ ; DAY S. ^{(1 2)} ; MACASKILL P. ⁽⁴⁾ ; MCLEOD J. G. ^{(1 2)} ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2006, AUSTRALIE
⁽²⁾ Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, AUSTRALIE
⁽³⁾ Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, AUSTRALIE
⁽⁴⁾ Department of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIE

Résumé / Abstract

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Newcastle, Australia increased significantly between 1961 and 1981 and the incidence of the disease also increased between the decades 1950-1959 and 1971-1981. The present study sought to determine whether there has been a further increase in the frequency of MS in the subsequent 15 years, and to examine the potential factors underlying this change. The incidence, prevalence and clinical profile of multiple sclerosis were therefore re-examined in Newcastle, Australia in 1996 using comparable diagnostic criteria and methods to those employed in studies in the same region in 1961 and 1981. There has been a significant progressive increase in prevalence from 19.6 to 59.1 per 100,000 population and a significant increase in incidence from 1.2 to 2.4 per 100,000 population from 1961 to 1996. The most pronounced increase in prevalence was in females and in the age-group over 60 years, and there was also an increased incidence in females aged 20-29 years. There was little change in the age of disease onset, but duration of disease in females had increased substantially. The significant increase in prevalence is attributed to increased incidence, particularly in females; and to increased survival. Although such trends in prevalence have been observed in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the first such study in the Southern Hemisphere to show a longitudinal increase in prevalence and incidence over a period of this duration.

Revue / Journal Title

Journal of the neurological sciences   ISSN 0022-510X   CODEN JNSCAG 

Source / Source

2003, vol. 213, n^o1-2, pp. 1-6 [6 page(s) (article)] (22 ref.)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Elsevier Science, Shannon, IRLANDE  (1964) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Public health ; Inflammatory disease ; Central nervous system disease ; Nervous system diseases ; Oceania ; Human ; Evolution ; Epidemiology ; Australia ; Prevalence ; Incidence ; Multiple sclerosis ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Santé publique ; Maladie inflammatoire ; Système nerveux central pathologie ; Système nerveux pathologie ; Océanie ; Homme ; Evolution ; Epidémiologie ; Australie ; Prévalence ; Incidence ; Sclérose en plaques ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Salud pública ; Enfermedad inflamatoria ; Sistema nervosio central patología ; Sistema nervioso patología ; Oceania ; Hombre ; Evolución ; Epidemiología ; Australia ; Prevalencia ; Incidencia ; Esclerosis en placa ;

Mots-clés d'auteur / Author Keywords

Multiple sclerosis ; Australia ; Epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Incidence ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 12185, 35400011135515.0010