10 Surprising Risk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a condition with nuances that continue to perplex experts. But we do know that MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own central nervous system.

This process causes harmful inflammation, which disrupts the nervous system's communication with the rest of the body, resulting in a variety of symptoms. Unfortunately, MS is incurable but it can be managed through neurological rehab, medications, etc.

Here are some risk factors for MS that you should be aware of:

1. Biological sex

MS disproportionately affects women. And the gender gap is widening: it used to be two women for every one man, but several new studies indicate that the ratio is approaching 4-to-1.

Researchers are unsure why females have four times the number of MS as males. They did, however, explain that current theories revolve around hormones, body fat and obesity, and vitamin D levels.

Furthermore, while the disease is more common in women, it is more severe in men.

2. Where you live

The number of people diagnosed with MS rises as one moves away from the equator. It is believed that a lack of vitamin D is to blame. Because our bodies produce D in response to sunlight, people living farther from the equator produce less, particularly during the long, dark winter months.

3. Environmental exposures as a child

Environmental exposures linked to MS development can occur before the age of 15 years. This is based on migration studies.

The same study also mentioned maternal illness while in utero and neonatal environmental exposures, such as lower levels of vitamin D, which are thought to play a role in the development of MS.

4. When you were born

A 2016 study looked at the month of birth and subsequent MS diagnosis in birth data from the United Kingdom between 1938 and 2000. The researchers controlled for other factors and discovered that people born in April had a higher risk of developing MS.

In contrast, 15.58% fewer people born in November developed MS. One possible explanation: If your mother was pregnant with you during the winter, her vitamin D levels during pregnancy may have been low.

5. Your ethnicity

White people of European ancestry are the most likely to develop MS. Hispanic and Asian people are less likely to develop the disease.

MS rates are generally higher in northern populations. However, changes are occurring in previously considered high-risk populations. In the United States, for example, African Americans are experiencing an increase in MS rates. There was once a widespread belief that African Americans were a lower-risk population.

6. Your smoking status

Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for developing MS. The culprits are thought to be the lung irritation and inflammation caused by smoking.

However, the good news is that if you quit smoking, your risk will return to your baseline risk after ten years. This means that smoking cigarettes is a risk factor that you can reduce by not smoking or quitting.

7. Your age

MS can be diagnosed at almost any age, from childhood to late adulthood. However, a diagnosis is most likely to occur between the ages of 20 and 50.

8. Previous mono-infection

Many germs have been studied as potential MS triggers, with mixed results. However, there is mounting evidence that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is linked to subsequent MS diagnosis. The virus that causes mononucleosis is EBV.

A study published in May 2020 collected blood samples from 901 patients from the German National MS Cohort with an early MS diagnosis.

EBV antibodies were found in every participant. The authors discuss the possibility of MS being a late-stage complication of EBV, and they recommend further research.

9. Viral infection and genetic expression

Past Epstein-Barr virus and other virus infections may influence the development of autoimmune diseases such as MS by altering genetic expression.

Some people are predisposed to developing MS. The genetic variations seen in MS patients are also seen in a variety of other autoimmune diseases.

Indeed, the Epstein-Barr Virus has been linked to the development of MS as well as a variety of other autoimmune diseases. This is all due to genetic effects involving the EBNA2 protein.

Other viruses may also be linked to the development of MS. Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) may, for example, be involved in MS.

10. Your family history

Your family history, as well as environmental factors, influence your chances of developing this disease. If a parent has MS, their children have a 5 to 10% chance of developing it.

While the exact pattern of inheritance is unknown, MS appears to run in families. Those who have siblings or parents who have MS are more likely to develop the disease.