ABU DHABI // The number of Emiratis in the capital living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is more than twice the global average, a study revealed.
The autoimmune disorder affects 64.44 per 100,000 people in Abu Dhabi, while the World Health Organisation estimated average global prevalence was 30 per 100,000. Low vitamin D levels, smoking and genetic factors may be causes.
“The Abu Dhabi Emirati population has one of the highest, most reliable prevalence rates on the Arab peninsula,” it was reported in the How Global MS Prevalence is Changing: A Retrospective Chart Review in the United Arab Emirates study.
The report was carried out by Johns Hopkins University in conjunction with Tawam Hospital.
MS can lead to inflammation in the central nervous system, causing nerve impulses to slow or stop, and other neurological problems. It cannot be prevented and no cure exists.
“Traditionally, the prevalence of MS in the Arab world has been thought to be low,” said Nicoline Schiess, assistant professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins who worked on the study.
“However, as more studies are done in this region and there is more knowledge and awareness of the disease and the access to MRIs are increased, the data is starting to show that the difference in prevalence of MS between the Arab world and parts of the United States and western Europe are not as great as previously thought.
“I don’t think Emiratis are at any higher risk for MS, rather the risk is more consistent with western countries than previously thought.”
The Johns Hopkins University study looked at 510 MS patients – 318 Emiratis and 192 expatriates – who visited Tawam Hospital, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Mafraq Hospital and Al Ain Hospital between 2010 and 2014.
The average age of Emirati patients was 34.
Dr Taoufik Alsaadi, chief medical officer and chairman of the neurology department at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology, said environmental, genetic and social factors may be triggers.
“Low vitamin D and smoking have all been linked to an increased risk of MS,” said the doctor.
“Genetics is a key factor here. We see families with MS. Consanguinity may be a factor.”
Women are almost twice as likely as men to have MS.
In at least 50 per cent of the cases, early symptoms include loss of or blurry vision and pain in the eyes.
“Weakness in one part of the body or tingling, numbness may be another presenting symptom,” said Dr Alsaadi.
“If a young person has any of these symptoms, careful evaluation and testing is needed.”
A study at Rashid Hospital in Dubai from 2000-2007 found that the prevalence of MS in Emiratis in the emirate was 54.77 per 100,000.
The study looked at 284 MS patients, of whom 158 were Emiratis.
The study also concluded that the prevalence of MS in Dubai was “surprisingly high”.
It recommended that a central MS registry be set up and long term follow-up studies be conducted.
“Studies have shown that people who have low vitamin D levels are at risk for MS,” said Prof Schiess.
“Probably the most important preventive thing one could do is to ensure vitamin D levels are at appropriate levels.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
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Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
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Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
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Sand storm
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- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
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- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
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Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
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When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
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TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
