Epidemiologic variables in Multiple sclerosis patients in Zanjan

After trauma, multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of disability in young adults. Epidemiologic findings provide health care managers with vast information. Study was designed to determine some of the Epidemiologic variables in MS Patients in Zanjan hospitals in 2007. In this descriptive study, all 96 MS patients were chosen and data were collected by phone and a questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, history of MS in family members, age of first admission, chief compliant, number and season of admission, total cost of hospitalization and use of Avonex and Rebife at home. Mean age of samples was 33.5 years and duration of illness was 6.2 years. Majority (66.6%) was female, married (77.8%), lived in Zanjan city (72.9%), owned house (74%), unemployed (74%) and had familial history of MS (7.3%). The ratio of disease in women to men was 2.7 to 1. Treatment cost in 46.9% of samples was between 100-250 thousands Tomans and 34.4% use medications such as Avonex and Rebife. MS is not uncommon in Zanjan. In order to improve the lives of these patients, more comprehensive information regarding their clinical and demographic aspects are needed.