Risk Factors

Multiple sclerosis may be more likely to occur in certain people because of an inherited predisposition. Those with a relative who has MS have a 10 to 15 percent higher risk of developing the disease than the population as a whole, for example, and the disease is more common in people of northern European heritage.

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But it also seems clear that other factors are at work. An environmental trigger such as a common viral infection may also explain MS in people who already are at higher risk because of their genetic makeup. Women are more likely than men to get the disease: About two thirds of people with MS are women. MS is more likely to occur in temperate zones such as northern Europe, the northern United States, southern Australia, and New Zealand. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of MS, although it is unknown whether vitamin D supplements can prevent the disease.