Multiple sclerosis in the Arabian Gulf countries: a consensus statement

Saeed Bohlega1, Jihad Inshasi, Abdel Rahman Al Tahan

  • 1King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, boholega@kfshrc.edu.sa.

Journal of Neurology
|March 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) prevalence is rising in the Arabian Gulf, shifting from a previously low-risk zone. Neurologists convened to discuss epidemiology and establish regional management guidelines for this evolving neurological condition.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The Arabian Gulf Region was historically considered low-risk for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) based on the Kurtzke classification.
  • Recent data indicate a shift, with moderate-to-high MS prevalence (31-55 per 10,0000) and increasing incidence in the region.
  • The relapsing-remitting MS course is more common than the primary progressive type, with a ratio of 2.5:1.

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