No longer a Disease of the West

[PaulX]

This article caught my eye.

http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/health-care/20111114103292.htm

 

It got me wondering, is it due to the less developed parts of the world getting better methods for detecting MS or is there some more biological change going on.

 

Common wisdom seemed to be the further from the equator you were, the more susceptible you were to MS. Of course you were more likely to be richer too, as a nation and better equipped to detect it.

 

So is this not true?

I don't know, of course, but I find it interesting. It might rule out some genetic possibilities.

 

Or it could be that the diet of India and the like is changing and might be triggering the rise in incidences.

[Scully]

Hello Paul,

 

That's thrown a spanner in the works huh?

 

My Neuro's in London, were very interested that I was born and raised in Vancouver BC. It's only a few degrees higher in latitude than the UK, but the incidence in Canada is greater. They started writing furiously after I had answered that I came to the UK when I was 19.

 

Maybe they area just better at detecting it, and MS was there all along? It is interesting though.

If only to see that they still really have no idea what causes it!

 

Scully

x

[PaulX]

Hi Scully,

It may well have done, but I see contradictory things each day.

 

Common belief is that it is an over active immune system that is doing in the damage but there was a study out that suggested it was an under active one that was the problem and they were getting results by kicking it back into life.

 

Personally I just want the magic pill that cures it, I don't care how it works.

 

It is interesting in how elusive the cause is being.

Paul

[Teddy B]

It does seem quite possible that detection rates for different countries have a significant part to play.

 

Having spent time in the heart of Indian countryside I can easily see that many people might never be diagnosed. Given that most local hospitals are unlikely to have the equipment needed I would guess that would make it very difficult to get a true picture of the numbers up until now.

 

In the towns though, there are changes that could be having an effect, not just better hospitals but different diet and lifestyle development plus huge enviromental changes with cars and industry growing all of the time.

 

Diabetes is common amongst the Indian sub-continent. Studies have shown that it is developing even more in environments which have had a recent increase in social wealth, which is happening now throughout parts of Asia. Although the current school of thought is that type two is mainly due to lifestyle as much as genetics, type one is thought to need an environmental trigger to set it off.

 

How sad if a trigger to conditions like MS and diabetes is something we see as an improvement in the standard of people's lives.

Edited 17 Nov 2011, 12:26 am by Angela K

[ptlike]

Hi Paul

 

Interesting post, is it not the case if you lived in Australia until the age of 5 you don't get MS.

 

Best wishes

Peter

[lucky]

paulx quote

 

Common belief is that it is an over active immune system that is doing in the damage but there was a study out that suggested it was an under active one that was the problem and they were getting results by kicking it back into life.

 

 

MS TRUST QUOTE It is thought that LDN works by encouraging the body to produce endorphins and by stimulating the immune system - an approach that differs from most MS treatments, which attempt to reduce immune activity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited 17 Nov 2011, 1:54 pm by lucky

[happyandy]

I just want a magic pill to go with my five magic beans.

 

Andy