This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Pretty vague reference to a 'healthy lifestyle'; I wonder where Alan Osmond went wrong?

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Dom.

I'm not sure what they mean by "lower than expected".

Seems to me that 45-64/100,000 is just about what should be expected??

Bob

Bob,
Last figure I read for the U.S. was 91.7 per 100,000, but estimates vary so wildly you can more or less take your pick,

Dom.

You are absolutely right Dom. MS researcher are kind of like TV weather announcers. They always leave enough of a "fudge factor" that it's impossible to ever prove them wrong.

I typed "ms incidence" into google and the first site (wrongdiagnosis.com) mentioned 1/700, which doesn't do me a lot of good because math isn't my forte. I am sometimes able to count all the way to 21...when I'm willing to risk arrest for public indecency.....again.

The next site (neurologychannel.com) quoted "northern United States have the highest prevalence, with more than 30 cases per 100,000 people."

Most sources estimate that there are around 400,000 cases of MS in the US and the population of the US is about.......a whole bunch. A whole bunch divided by 400,000 is just about 91.7 per 100,000 exactly.....if my math is correct
Bob

1/700 would be the same as 142/100,000.

NHE

Thanks NHE. That really is quite a range. I was trying to pick on Dom, but I guess I shouldn't have. There is no correct source.
Bob

The key word here is "estimates". The figures are taken from a variety of sources, not just medical records: some are taken from regional MS Society membership and then averaged out, so it's no wonder we don't have any definitive numbers.

A little maths lesson, Bob: "a bunch" is the square root of "loads" divided by "quite a few"... I thought everyone knew that,

Dom .

I got out of school quite a few years ago and I thought maybe the rules of mathmatics had changed since then.

When I was in school the the "periodic chart of elements" only contained 3 elements. Dirt, water and air and at that point scientists were still arguing whether or not water was just a form of thicker air.

Gosh, I hope it's only you and I who believe this natter!
Bob