Epidemology of MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common primary neurological disorder of young adults in most countries, affecting approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. It is a common cause of disability: up to 60 percent of patients are no longer fully ambulatory 20 years after onset of the condition.

This burden of disability can markedly reduce the person with MS’ ability to perform everyday activities and significantly impairs their quality of life. Moreover, because the disease often develops at about the age of 30 years, there is a substantial financial cost, both to the person with MS and their family and to society as a whole, resulting from loss of productivity.