Who gets MS?
MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system, and generally affects young adults. In the UK there are about 85,000 people with MS, with the disease affecting roughly 1 in 1,000 of the population. It is 50% more common in women than in men, so for every two men affected there are three women. The reason for this is not clear.
Two-thirds of all cases of MS begin between the ages of 20 and 40 and the average age of onset is between 28 and 33. Onset after 60 is rare, as is MS in children. A few people are first affected in their teens.