Age at immigration to England of Asian and Caribbean immigrants and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that multiple sclerosis is very uncommon among Indian and Pakistani immigrants to England but that their children born in the United Kingdom, in the age groups available for study, have a similar risk of developing the disease as occurs in the general British population. The present study was to ascertain if these immigrants who enter England as children below the age of 15, have a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis than those that enter after this age. METHODS: A search was made in Greater London, the West Midlands, Leicester, Bradford, Halifax, and Huddersfield to find ethnic Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi immigrants to England with multiple sclerosis. During the course of the study some immigrants…