One stat that I find very hard to believe is that 100,000 people in the UK have MS! Don’t you all think that that is a severe underestimation considering all the newly diagnosed people who post on here every day and the huge number of people still in limbo. Anyway just thought it was worth mentioning and wondered what others thought? Tree65 xx
Hi Tree
I think it is just that isn’t it - an estimation. I very much doubt that all those who are in limbo are included in the estimation. I don’t even think there’s ever been a collective register has there? Or maybe if there has then possibly it only includes those that are on dmd’s or medications - but with a definate diagnosis.
Now of course the ms register has been launched, which hopefully will give us a better understanding (amongst other things) of how many people are affected by ms - but even then it’s not obligatory to sign up too.
I’m with you - I think it’s probably a grossly underestimated figure!
Debbie xx
I reckon it’s probably about right.
My logic is that the chances of getting MS are anything between 1:800 to 1:1000 depending on what you read. The UK has about 63m people in it. If we take 1:900 as the odds, that gives 70,000 people. If you have a family member with MS you are more likely to get it, so that will increase the figure. Plus, the incidence of MS is higher in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. So bearing those factors in mind, 100,000 is probably about right.
An awful lot of people 
Karen x
I’m with Karen, but slightly less scientific reasoning.
Outside of this board, how many people do you know, or have ever known, with MS? Known personally, I mean, not heard of on the grapevine?
With me, prior to diagnosis, it was precisely ONE. I’ve met one more since diagnosis, and become “aware of” several others (acquaintances, or friend-of-a-friend, not people well known to me). But I’m sure that’s just a function of being more on the lookout for it, once you know you have it yourself.
I know my GP only has two or three other patients with MS, because she told me herself. And that’s at quite a large urban practice.
So if it was really much more common than we think, wouldn’t doctors be seeing it more?
How often do we see a post on here, saying: “My doctor doesn’t know a thing about MS”?
How could that happen, if it was really common? It’s certainly not common enough for every doctor to have dealt with it, and that is demonstrated by the alarmingly ignorant “care” some people get.
Comments like: “You wouldn’t be able to walk if it was MS” spring to mind.
Shows they’ve never encountered it, doesn’t it?
Tina
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