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Multiple sclerosis in Spain: an epidemiological study of the Alcoy health region, Valencia
Author(s) -
MatiasGuiu J.,
Bolumar F.,
Martin R.,
Insa R.,
Casquero P.,
Molto J.M.,
Calatayud E.,
Aranaz J.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1990.tb01003.x
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , epidemiology , incidence (geometry) , demography , population , valencia , geography , distribution (mathematics) , medicine , environmental health , pathology , biology , psychiatry , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , sociology , optics , ecology
Alcoy is a defined health region in eastern Spain, at 3° E‐38° N, with a single neurology department and includes 33 towns with a total population of 133,915 inhabitants. We have evaluated the prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) by analysing this region. Six new cases have been detected (2.24/100,000/year) and the prevalence rate was 17.17/100,000, the highest in Spain at the moment. However, we found an irregular distribution in the different towns in so far that 15 of our 23 patients lived in a particular subregion, which means a prevalence of 44.59/100,000. Our study shows that the area of Alcoy is a medium MS risk region according to the thesis of Kurzke, although high MS areas may be found, thus confirming that MS distribution in southern Europe is not uniform.