The Middle East has risen to a moderate-to-high prevalence category for cases of multiple sclerosis, up from low-to-moderate, in the span of a few decades.
Doctors said the number of cases per 10,000 people continues to climb across the region, particularly among women under the age of 40.
On World MS Day, held annually on May 30, healthcare professionals said this was in line with a global trend of rising cases.
The incurable neurological disorder, which affects the brain and spinal cord, is degenerative and can lead to loss of sensation or movement. This is caused by the immune system attacking the protective layer that covers nerve fibres (the myelin sheath), preventing brain signals from properly reaching the body.
MS is known to affect up to four times more women than men and, while it is not genetic, people related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it.
Dr Roberto Bolano, consultant neurologist at Fakeeh University Hospital in the UAE, said prevalence across the Middle East had risen considerably over the past few decades.
“This puts an additional burden on the Middle Eastern countries and the patients, as the cost of managing MS is high, with timely care and diagnosis being of utmost importance,” he said.
Symptoms can include loss of sensation, slurred speech, fatigue, dizziness and tingling or pain in parts of the body. The condition can also affect vision.
There is no cure but some medications can help control symptoms, commonly referred to as attacks. However, medication and treatments are costly and can add up to tens of thousands of dollars every year.
“[The] latest research data shows MS is on the rise, especially in Middle East women. The prevalence is rising even globally, and thus in the Middle East too,” Dr Bolano said.
He attributed this rise to early detection and diagnoses, as well as lifestyle. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency, which is common across much of the Gulf, can increase the chances of developing MS.
Other reasons for the rise in cases, Dr Bolano said, were reduced physical activity, smoking, and higher levels of stress. Longer survival of patients due to medical advancements may also contribute to a recorded increased prevalence, studies said.
“Spreading awareness about the onset of the condition and its symptoms — and encouraging people to get screened earlier — can help in reducing the incidence in the region,” Dr Bolano said.
Roughly 2.8m people are currently living with MS worldwide, said the third Atlas of MS report released by the MS International Federation, which works with the World Health Organisation, in September 2020. This is up from 2.3m global cases in 2013.
The report showed that a much larger number of children and young people under 18 were living with MS than was previously known. It also confirmed the disparity between the prevalence among women and men.
The highest rates found in the Middle East are in Israel, where 151 people in 10,000 have MS. Kuwait reported the second-highest rates with 105 cases in 10,000 people.
Doctors said this could also be due to increased testing and improvements in testing accuracy.
As of 2020, seven in 10,000 people — or 684 people — were reported to have MS in the UAE, with the average age of diagnosis being 28.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China |
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UAE |
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Japan |
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Norway |
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Canada |
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PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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Name: Thndr
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
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- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
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-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
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“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
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Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
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Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
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World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
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