PREVALENCE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IN THE LIBERATED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN

Abstract

The article presents information about a study conducted to investigate the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the proportion of its clinical forms in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions. Over a period of 10 years (01.01.2013–31.12.2022), a special expert commission at the Neurology Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan examined 224 patients diagnosed with MS from the specified economic regions and analyzed their medical records. The average age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 34.81±7.78 years. Among the clinical forms of MS, the most common were relapsing-remitting MS (80.4%) and secondary progressive MS (15.2%). By the end of the study period, the prevalence of MS in the region was 20.83±1.42 per 100,000 people (95% CI – 18.05-23.61). The prevalence of MS among women was significantly higher than among men (P<0.001).