title: Pharmacoepidemiology and the Australian regional prevalence of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over some 50 years, field surveys have shown that the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) increases with increasing distance from the equator in both the northern and the southern hemispheres. Such a latitudinal gradient has been found in field surveys of MS prevalence carried out at different times in various local regions of Australia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this paper is to use a pharmacoepidemiological approach to obtain whole of population estimates of the prevalence of MS in the various Australian states and territories from the use of MS disease-modifying drugs used to treat relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed the dispensed use of subsidised RRMS drugs by jurisdiction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 2005-2008 period, the calculated mean treated RRMS prevalence in Australia ranged from 7.5 per 100,000 in the far north to 53.2 per 100,000 in the extreme south and was linearly related to increasing southerly latitude. Public domain Australian data suggested that multiplying this prevalence by a factor of 2.2 (to account for untreated RRMS and other types of MS) may provide a measure of the prevalence of all varieties of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide contemporary and more comprehensive evidence for the gradient of MS prevalence with latitude in Australia than has previously been available.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hollingworth
authors.forename: Kimitra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Mervyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eadie
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016014:Linear Models; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D000069442:Natalizumab; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019782:Riluzole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069442:Natalizumab; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D016899:Interferon-beta; D019782:Riluzole; D000068876:Fingolimod Hydrochloride; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide; D013110:Sphingosine
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; disease distribution; latitude; pharmacoepidemiology; prevalence