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3 results

  • The Incidence and Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in Nova Scotia, Canada

  • Ruth Ann Marrie, John D. Fisk, Karen J. Stadnyk, Bo Nancy Yu, Helen Tremlett, Christina Wolfson, Sharon Warren, Virender Bhan, CIHR Team in the Epidemiology and Impact of Comorbidity on Multiple Sclerosis
  • Journal:
    Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Volume 40 / Issue 6 / November 2013
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    23 September 2014, pp. 824-831
    • Article
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  • Background:

    Estimates of incidence and prevalence are needed to determine disease risk and to plan for health service needs. Although the province of Nova Scotia, Canada is located in a region considered to have a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS), epidemiologic data are limited.

    Objective:

    We aimed to validate an administrative case definition for MS and to use this to estimate the incidence and prevalence of MS in Nova Scotia.

    Methods:

    We used provincial administrative claims data to identify persons with MS. We validated administrative case definitions using the clinical database of the province's only MS Clinic; agreement between data sources was expressed using a kappa statistic. We then applied these definitions to estimate the incidence and prevalence of MS from 1990 to 2010.

    Results:

    We selected the case definition using ≥7 hospital or physician claims when >3 years of data were available, and ≥3 claims where less data were available. Agreement between data sources was moderate (kappa = 0.56), while the positive predictive value was high (89%). In 2010, the age-standardized prevalence of MS per 100,000 population was 266.9 (95% CI: 257.1- 277.1) and incidence was 5.17 (95% CI: 3.78-6.56) per 100,000 persons/year. From 1990-2010 the prevalence of MS rose steadily but incidence remained stable.

    Conclusions:

    Administrative data provide a valid and readily available means of estimating MS incidence and prevalence. MS prevalence in Nova Scotia is among the highest in the world, similar to recent prevalence estimates elsewhere in Canada.

  • 5 - The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis

  • from Section I - Introduction
  • Edited by Jeffrey A. Cohen, Richard A. Rudick
  • Book:
    Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutics
    Published online:
    05 December 2011
    Print publication:
    20 October 2011, pp 46-55

  • Summary

    The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) represents the most widely accepted measure of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), and is used in many natural history studies. This chapter discusses natural history of relapsing onset MS, primary progressive MS, changes in natural history and impact on clinical trial design, traditional prognostic factors, and other factors which may influence prognosis such as race, comorbid diseases, and health behaviors. Pharmacoepidemiological studies using real world data derived from clinical practice represent a cost-effective means of evaluating the long-term effectiveness of immunomodulatory drug treatments for MS. Along with evidence from the basic sciences, epidemiological studies can provide insights into potentially novel treatments, as well as the rationale and hypotheses for testing these treatments in clinical trials. For example, vitamin D and estrogen are being evaluated in clinical trials based partly on epidemiological observations. Heterogeneity remains the hallmark of MS.