ECTRIMS 2022 | Proportion of life and incidence of MS in Canadian immigrants

Migration studies have had a critical role in multiple sclerosis (MS) research as they have given insights into the importance of environmental factors in determining MS risk. Dalia Rotstein, MD, MPH, St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, gives an overview of a study determining whether the risk of MS in immigrants varies with the proportion of life spent in the new host country. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted in Ontario, Canada, using linked administrative databases. It was found that MS incidence in immigrants increased with the proportion of life spent in Canada, suggesting an effect of acculturation on lifestyle and environmental factors contributing to MS risk in immigrants. Further work is needed to identify potentially modifiable factors. This interview took place at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress 2022 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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