4 factors determine the risk of multiple sclerosis

4 factors determine the risk of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis ( MS) is one of the diseases enigmas in medical practice. Among its few well- defined features is the fact that hereditary factors , and those defined by the habitat, have a role to play . As an autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis occurs with the destruction of its own structures under the influence of the components of the immune system. Thus, any factor that somehow affects the activity of the immune system can also predict the risk of multiple sclerosis .

For the time being, scientists have identified 4 factors that most strongly affect the risk of developing the disease, i. E. these are the most prominent risk factors.

Gender
There is a pronounced disproportion in the frequency with which multiple sclerosis is diagnosed in both sexes. Statistics show that four men are affected by this disease. Although it is more common among females, however, multiple sclerosis occurs much more severely in men.

Stay
Statistically, the closer people live to the poles, either north or south, the higher the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. This trend is associated with varying degrees of sun exposure during the year and the resulting risk of vitamin D deficiency . Chronic deficiency of this vitamin is considered a risk factor for multiple sclerosis due to the specific role of vitamin D as an immunomodulator influencing the immune system's activity.

Smoking
Along with all associated health risks, smoking is also a predisposing factor for the development of multiple sclerosis. That's serious. It is also found that the disease progresses much faster in smokers than in non-smokers or in people who have refused smoking.

Mononucleosis
An interesting study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, establishes a direct link between mononucleosis and multiple sclerosis. In blood samples from patients with multiple sclerosis, scientists detect elevated levels of antibodies produced against Epstein-Barr virus causing infectious mononucleosis. Additional studies have found that about 90% of those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis are also treated against mononucleosis at a certain time span in time.

These are the first-ever data directly associated with multiple sclerosis with another disease. It is thought that besides mononucleosis, a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis would be any autoimmune disease , as they tend to accumulate, i.e. to develop more than one simultaneously.

There is no direct danger that the presence of any of these factors will certainly lead to the development of multiple sclerosis. However, the collapse of several of these should be considered as a reason for regular prophylactic studies to early diagnose a treacherous autoimmune disease.