Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Lebanon: A rising prevalence in the middle east

Background: The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been studied in many countries of the Middle East but the prevalence and incidence of MS in Lebanon is still unknown. Objectives: To determine the incidence and prevalence of MS in Lebanon. Methods: Lebanese patients diagnosed with MS between January 2018 and December 2018 were identified using the database of governmental third-party payers. The crude, age- and sex-specific 2018 prevalence and incidence among Lebanese patients were calculated. Results: 2248 MS patients were identified of whom 67.1% were women (female: male ratio 2:1) with a mean age of 41.8 +/- 12.96 years. The 2018 prevalence of MS was 62.91 cases per 100,000 persons (95% CI: 60.41 - 65.41). The overall incidence of MS in Lebanon was 8.36 cases per 100,000 (95% CI: 7.45-9.27) with a mean age at onset of 34.5 +/- 12.5 years. Conclusion: This is the first study to assess prevalence and incidence of MS in Lebanon, confirming that Lebanon is a moderate to high-risk area for MS. Those high rates are commensurate with recently published studies from the Middle East, pointing to a significant rise in incidence and prevalence of this disease in our region.