Nivel: More Dutch people with MS than previously assumed
News
24-01-2025

More Dutch people with MS than previously assumed

It is estimated that more than 36,000 people in the Netherlands have the disease multiple sclerosis (MS), which is considerably more as previously believed. This is the result of research conducted by the Nivel in collaboration with researchers at the MS Centre Amsterdam (Amsterdam UMC) and the Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem. More information about the prevalence and incidence of MS and concomitant symptoms can support early diagnosis and treatment of MS. The results were published in the scientific journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

In recent decades, the number of people with MS has increased. The number of people with MS in the Netherlands was estimated at 2.1 per 1,000 people in this study. The number of new cases remains stable at 7 per 100,000 people per year. A third of the people with an MS diagnosis in the GP records were not under treatment by a neurologist. Possible reasons for this are a mild course of the disease or, on the contrary, an advanced stage of the disease. These findings are in line with what is seen in other countries in Europe.

This study shows that linking data sources gives a more complete picture of the prevalence of conditions diagnosed by a specialist, such as MS
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About the research

By using data from Nivel Primary Care Database and combining them within the CBS remote access environment with data from secondary care (Vektis), a complete picture of MS prevalence can be drawn. This study used data from 2019 from Dutch GPs, and from 2018 and 2019 from secondary care providers. Data for 2020, 2021 and 2022 were omitted in this study due to the impact of COVID-19 on GP care. At the time of the data request, data on 2023 were not yet available. Current numbers (based on GP data only) on MS in the Netherlands can be found on our webpage (in Dutch) : the number of people with MS continued to increase from 2.0 per 1,000 people in 2019 to 2.2 per 1,000 people in 2023. This study was subsidised by the MS Association Netherlands.

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