Stress does not increase risk of multiple sclerosis

After long speculations about the correlation between stress and multiple sclerosis, it has been established that they are mutually exclusive. Although there have been evidences that stress increases the severity of the disease, it is now clear that stress does not cause multiple sclerosis.

Case study

The study was based on extensive research on the behavior patterns of over 200,000 nurses, who were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 121,700 nurses. The nurses in this group were all between the ages of 35 and 55 and were under observation from 1976. The other group consisted of 116,671, all of whom were between the ages of 25 and 42. They were observed from 1989 onwards. Nurses of both groups were asked about their stress levels professionally and in personal life. Records were also maintained regarding their growing ages and any kind of abuse they might have undergone that caused severe stress. After all these years of observations, it was noted that 77 nurses from the first group and 292 from the second group fell prey to multiple sclerosis.

Result of the case study

According to the author of the study, Trond Riise from the University Of Bergen, Norway, it was noted that the nurses who were diagnosed with the disease were not the ones who reported high stress levels. He said that the study has been conclusive and it can safely be established for all future references that stress is not the cause of multiple sclerosis. However, stress does aggravate the condition. The study was conducted in the Harvard School of Public Health.

Incidence of multiple sclerosis in United States

Multiple sclerosis is the disease of the nervous system. In United States, there are over 400,000 people suffering from the disease. Further, as per reports, around 200 to 300 patients are being diagnosed with the disease every week. According to a recently conducted survey, multiple sclerosis is found more commonly in temperate climates. Tropical climates have reported lesser incidence of the disease. It has also been observed that the disease is more likely to strike people who shift their place of residence from tropical to temperate climates. People between the ages of 20 and 40 are found to be more susceptible while children below fifteen and adults above sixty are the lease exposed to the risk of contraction.

What causes multiple sclerosis?

Although the cause of multiple sclerosis cannot be exactly pointed out, genetics and environmental factors such as climate have been known to cause the disease. The other cause is deficiency in the immune system. Immune system in the body turns against it due to some unknown cause. The cells begin to attack brain cells and cells in the nervous system causing them to contract multiple sclerosis. Although viral infections do not directly attack the nervous system and cause the disease, they are known to attack the immune system and cause them to attack brain cells. According to the latest study, stress as a cause has been eliminated.