$tagsList = ['Hidradenitis Suppurativa','Hives','HIV/AIDS','Psoriatic Arthritis','Psoriasis']; $catList = ['Hidradenitis Suppurativa','Hives','HIV/AIDS','Psoriatic Arthritis','Psoriasis']; Skip to main content

Certain racial and ethnic groups, such as African Americans and Hispanics, may be disproportionately affected by multiple sclerosis compared to Whites. Understanding the differences in potential risk factors could aid clinicians in formulating the right treatment plan.

Certain racial and ethnic groups may bear an unequal burden of disease in regard to multiple sclerosis (MS). The variability of disease symptoms and outcomes in such groups may be influenced by social, environmental, and genetic factors. While an increased rate of MS has been observed in African Americans, Asians and Hispanics appear to have a lower likelihood of developing MS than Whites.

One review published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis summarized the current data on the impact of race and ethnicity as a variable in disease symptoms, comorbidities, and outcomes. Researchers reviewed multiple observational and retrospective studies that assessed MS in racial and ethnic groups. Clinical variability was evaluated in regard to different determinants of health.

Researchers concluded that MS disease severity and progression are often influenced by genetic and environmental factors. According to the review, African Americans may develop MS at a younger or older age, depending on region of residence, compared to Whites. On the other hand, Hispanics tend to present with MS at a younger age than Whites. In addition, African Americans and Hispanics have been reported to have worse disability scores than Whites.

The differences in age of onset between racial and ethnic groups may be attributed to environmental factors, such as being Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1 seropositive, which has been associated with an increased likelihood of getting MS in African Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. In regard to genetic factors, variants of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in African Americans may be associated with a 2.1-year younger average age of disease onset than those not carrying the variant.

You May Also Like::  Dr. Mitzi Williams: Risk Factors for NMOSD

The variability in MS disease onset across ethnic and racial groups underscores the need for a multifactorial approach to treatment. Clinicians are encouraged to consider potential social, genetic, and environmental risk factors when developing a treatment strategy.

Source:
Amezcua, L., & McCauley, J. L. (2020). Race and ethnicity on MS presentation and disease course. Mult Scler, 26(5), 561-567. https://doi.org/10.1177/1352458519887328