Multiple Sclerosis Mortality Rates in Canada, 1975-2009

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Examined multiple sclerosis (MS) mortality trends in Canada from 1975 to 2009.
• Investigated changes in age at death for MS patients compared to the general population.
• Assessed the overall decrease in MS mortality rates over the study period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the trends in multiple sclerosis (MS) mortality in Canada over a 35-year period.
• To determine if the age at death for MS patients has changed relative to the general population.
• To ascertain whether MS mortality rates have decreased over time.

Main Methods:

• Calculated age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population for MS and all causes.
• Utilized data from Statistics Canada, standardized to the 2006 population.
• Analyzed mortality rates across different age groups and genders over five-year intervals.

Main Results:

• The average annual Canadian MS mortality rate was 1.23/100,000 between 1975-2009, showing stable overall trends.
• MS mortality rates decreased in younger age groups (0-39) but increased in older groups (60+), while all-cause mortality decreased across all ages.
• Female MS mortality rates were consistently higher than male rates, with the highest MS mortality concentrated in the 50-69 age groups.

Conclusions:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) mortality shows a shift towards later ages at death, potentially linked to improved healthcare.
• Despite this shift, MS patients experience higher mortality risks compared to the general population.
• The observed changes in age at death for MS do not correlate with a reduction in overall mortality rates.