Clinicians in Bradford are joining an investigation into why UK-born south Asians are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than those who have migrated to the UK as adults.

In the first extensive MS study of its kind for this ethnic group, the DNA of 200 south Asians with MS will be genetically analysed. The aim is to develop greater understanding of the role of genes in the neurological condition.

About half of the study participants will be recruited by the MS service at Charing Cross Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, where 12 per cent of MS patients are of south Asian background.

The remainder are being recruited by St Luke’s Hospital in Bradford, St James’s Hospital in Leeds and Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Dr Omar Malik, consultant neurologist at Imperial, who is leading the study, said: “The risk of MS in UK-born south Asians and in those migrating here as children, is significantly higher than in those who came as adults.

“Consequently south Asian MS is now becoming a common problem in the UK, especially in those parts of the country with large south Asian communities.”

He added: “We hope our study will result in greater understanding of the role of genes in MS and pave the way for the development of new therapies and even preventative treatment.”

e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk

MS Factfile
  • MS is the most common neurological condition among young adults in the UK, affecting approximately 100,000 people
  • Symptoms can include loss of sensation and balance, fatigue, paralysis, pain, memory and vision problems, incontinence and sexual dysfunction
  • Women are almost twice as likely to develop MS as men