Canada has highest rate of MS in the world; Denmark and Sweden very high

[ActiveMSers]

LONDON -- It's a disease that strikes down adults at their prime -- and it's found Ground Zero in Canada.

Multiple sclerosis afflicts Canadians at a rate that far outpaces anyplace else in the world, a new survey has found.

"It's really shocking … It is almost like a Canadian disease," said Karen Lee, of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

Nearly 100,000 Canadians have the disease, a rate that's 28% higher than the country with the second-highest mark, Denmark, and nine times higher than the global average, according to the survey by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/30...he-world-study

[ActiveMSers]

THE MS TOP 10

(Disease prevalence per 100,000 population)

Canada: 291

Denmark: 227

Sweden: 189

Hungary: 176

Cyprus: 175

U.K.: 164

Czech Rep.: 160

Norway: 160

Germany: 149

Austria: 140

-- Source: Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, World Health Organization

[garyp]

Cyprus being so high on the list is interesting...

All of these top nations fit the lack of sunshine/vitamin D hypotheses very nicely - except for Cyprus.

According to wikepdia, Cypus gets 5 to 6 hours of sunshine per day even in December and 12 to 13 in July (double the rate of northern European nations).

Am wondering if Cyprus has a lot of immigrants who distort these numbers in some way...it is a poplar spot for Europeans to retire to.