The epidemiologic trend of multiple sclerosis in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran in fifteen-year period

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major global health problem as a growing debilitating disease and according to the Global Burden of Diseases study in 2016 has had a 40 % prevalence increase in Iran during the 3 previous decades; far more from the Global prevalence which only increased about 10 %. Razavi Khorasan is the second most populous province in Iran with over 6.5 million people and its MS status is not clear; therefore, this study aims to define the current epidemiologic trend of MS in Razavi Khorasan METHODS AND MATERIALS: We performed this cross-sectional, analytical study in Khorasan Razavi Multiple sclerosis Center during 2021-2023. The data was extracted from the registry system for MS patients held in the center. The cases were all MS patients of the province numbered 4723. The sex- and age- standardized ratios were measured and the annual incidence and prevalence rates of MS were calculated using the province population information and so the epidemiologic trend of MS in the province was obtained.

Of over 4700 MS patients in the province in 2021, 78 % were female. More than 40 % had academic education. In 2021 most patients lived in their 4th (about 40 %) and 5th (about 28 %) decades of life. Most of the patients were aged 20-29 years (37 %) and 30-39 years (34 %) at the time of diagnosis and the average duration of disease was 7 years among all patients until 2021. The annual incidence in Khorasan Razavi rose gradually from 1.57 to 6.40 person-years during 2006-2020; with a steeper slope in females compared with males. The prevalence of MS in 2021 was about 71.7 per 100,000 population (112.7 for females and 31.3 for males), approximately 80 % more than the prevalence in 2006 relative to population growth.

There is an upward trend of multiple sclerosis in Razavi Khorasan; which is probably one of the fastest growth patterns in the region because it has been about two-fold as fast as in Tehran with the highest prevalence rates in Iran. Therefore, there should be extensive plans for managing the disease with secondary prevention in the coming years to decrease the complications and disabilities associated with disease progression.