According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America:
- An estimated 2,500,000 people in the world have multiple sclerosis;
- 350,000 to 500,000 people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with MS;
- 200 people are diagnosed with MS every week;
- Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 (although MS can occur in young children and significantly older adults too);
- Research suggests that Women are roughly two to three times more likely to develop MS versus men;
- Individuals growing up in regions closer to the equator have a lower incidence of MS. The rate of MS increases as distance from the equator increases (this may be related to diet, exposure to sunlight, and/or other lifestyle traits);
- In the US alone:
- The average person has about one in 750 (0.1%) chance of developing MS;
- When it comes to family:
- For first-degree relatives of a person with MS, such as children, siblings or non-identical twins, the risk rises to approximately 2.5-5% (this risk may be potentially higher in families that have several family members with the disease);
- The identical twin of someone with MS (who shares all the same genes) has a 25% chance of developing the disease.
Learn more about MS here: http://bit.ly/1VOh6jL