title: A systematic review of several potential non-genetic risk factors for multiple sclerosis.
abstract: We reviewed the literature published in the English language to determine the weight of evidence for several potential non-genetic risk factors for multiple sclerosis, including solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), sex hormones and dietary fat/fatty acids. We ranked the plausibility of each factor and graded the methodological rigour of case-control and cohort studies to determine whether there was a sufficient number of high-quality studies to weigh the evidence. Based on our criteria, the plausibility for solar UVR and sex hormones is good and fair for dietary fat/fatty acids. However, the body of epidemiologic evidence is insufficient for these three sets of risk factors. We did not find a sufficient number of methodologically rigorous studies to weigh the evidence for any of the potential risk factors we examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coo
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Aronson
mesh_terms: D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000009:adverse effects; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones