Scotland and its high rate of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that affects the nerves, is seen more in northern, cooler countries than in sunnier, warmer climates. Researchers don’t exactly know why, but there’s a lot of suspicion about the differences in vitamin D absorption between the populations of those climates.

Interestingly, Scotland is thought to have the highest rate of MS in the world. According to this article from BBC News, ‘I’m just another Scot with MS’, 1 in 500 in Scotland have MS. It’s an interesting article.

Image: MorgueFile

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Comments

By MaxJerz

The Pacific NW region of the US, and Washington state in particular, has the highest rate of MS in the country. It’s interesting that Scotland, with a very similar climate, also has a very high prevalence of it.

The local chapter of the MS Society speculates that part of the reason there’s such a high prevalence in WA is because this is a friendlier climate to MS.

http://was.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WAS_aboutMS