Abstract
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders and is one of the main causes of disability. The prevalence and incidence of MS in Iran is reported to range from 5.3 to 89/ 100,000and 7 to 148.1/ 100,000, respectively. There are no systematic and meta-analysis studies on MS in Iran. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and incidence of MS in Iran using meta-analysis.MethodA systematic review of the present study focused on MS epidemiology in Iran based on PRISMA guidelines for systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched eight international databases including Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Google Scholar search engine and six Persian databases for peer-reviewed studies published without time limit until May 2018. Data were analyzed using Comprehensive meta-analysis ver. 2 software. The review protocol has been registered in PROSPERO with ID: CRD42018114491.ResultsAccording to searching on different databases, 39 (15%) articles finalized. The prevalence of MS in Iran was estimated 29.3/ 100,000 (95%CI: 25.6–33.5) based on random effects model. The prevalence of MS in men and women was estimated to be 16.5/ 100,000 (95%CI: 13.7–23.4) and 44.8/ 100,000 (95%CI: 36.3–61.6), respectively. The incidence of MS in Iran was estimated to be 3.4/ 100,000 (95%CI: 1.8–6.2) based on random effects model. The incidence of MS in men was estimated to be 16.5/ 100,000 (95%CI: 13.7–23.4) and the incidence of MS in women was 44.8/ 100,000 (95%CI: 36.3–61.6). The meta-regression model for prevalence and incidence of MS was significantly higher in terms of year of study (p<0.001).ConclusionsThe results of this study can provide a general picture of MS epidemiology in Iran. The current meta-analysis showed that the prevalence and incidence of MS in Iran is high and is rising over time.
Highlights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative and immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system[1,2,3,4]
A systematic review of the present study focused on MS epidemiology in Iran based on PRISMA guidelines for systematic review and meta-analysis
The meta-regression model for prevalence and incidence of MS was significantly higher in terms of year of study (p
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative and immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the human central nervous system[1,2,3,4]. Women are approximately 2–3 times more likely to suffer from MS[6], and most patients are 20 to 50 years old. Iran is well known for its high prevalence of MS in the world, whereas 15 years ago, it was assumed based on the MS slope hypothesis that Iran could be a low-risk area for MS with an incidence of less than 5 per 100,000 people[11,12,13]. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and incidence of MS in Iran using meta-analysis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
