More Women Developing MS

Ivanhoe Newswire
Friday, April 27, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- There's been a much higher increase in the amount of women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) over the past 60 years than men.

New research from the University of Alabama shows the ratio of women to men with MS in the United States was two to one in 1940. Now it is about four to one -- an increase of nearly 50 percent per decade.

The study reviewed data of 30,336 MS patients and determined the male/female ratio based on the year the disease was diagnosed and how old the patient was when he/she developed it.

Researchers say they do not yet know why more women are developing MS and want to look at several changes that have happened over the years including using oral contraceptives, earlier menstruation, obesity rates, changes in smoking rates, and first births at a later age.

"We also need to ask the general questions about what women do differently than men, such as use of hair dye and use of cosmetics that may block vitamin D absorption," study author Gary Cutter, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, was quoted as saying. "At this point we're just speculating on avenues of research that could be pursued."

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SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 - May 5, 2007