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Multiple Sclerosis Epidemiology in Europe

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Multiple Sclerosis: Bench to Bedside

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 958))

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is characterized by a non-homogeneous distribution around the world. Some authors in past described a latitude gradient, with increasing risk from the equator to North and South Poles, but this theory is still controversial. Regarding Europe, there are many articles in the literature concerning the epidemiology of this disease but, unfortunately, they are not always comparable due to different methodologies, they do not cover all countries in the continent, and most of them reported data of small areas and rarely at a national level. In 2012 there were 20 national registries that could help to describe the epidemiology of the disease and, in addition, there is an European Register for Multiple Sclerosis that collect data from already existing national or regional MS registries and databases. Another valid alternative to obtain epidemiological data, also at national level, in a routinely and cost-saving way is through administrative data that are of increasing interest in the last years.

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Abbreviations

HLA:

human leukocyte antigen

MS:

multiple sclerosis

MSIF:

Multiple Sclerosis International Federation

UK:

United Kingdom

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Matteo Casarotto for a linguistic revision of the manuscript.

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Bezzini, D., Battaglia, M.A. (2017). Multiple Sclerosis Epidemiology in Europe. In: Asea, A., Geraci, F., Kaur, P. (eds) Multiple Sclerosis: Bench to Bedside. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 958. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47861-6_9

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