This is an unparalleled time in the field of MS research because we have a better understanding of how MS behaves in various patient populations, including the Black community. For decades, experts believed MS was a disease of young, White women. However, that’s not the case. Studies show just as many Black individuals have MS as their White counterparts, and the incidence may be higher, particularly in Black women, than in other ethnic populations.1,2,3
Low awareness of the Black MS experience is a factor that can delay diagnosis and, therefore, also interfere with getting started early on a high-efficacy disease-modifying therapy that may help to slow the progression of disability – an important goal of treating MS.
THE IMPACT OF MS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
MS is a progressive disease from the start for everyone, regardless of relapses – yet symptoms may vary from person to person. Some people may be only mildly affected, while others may lose their ability to see clearly, write, speak or walk. There are also invisible symptoms, like cognitive impairment, fatigue, and sensory issues that can take a physical, mental, and emotional toll and significantly impact the experience of a person living with MS.
However, there are commonalities that we are seeing in the Black MS population compared to White people living with MS. For instance, Black people may be older at the time of diagnosis, experience more severe symptoms, and have faster disease progression, including an increased risk of secondary progressive MS. They also are more likely to have more involvement of the spinal cord and optic nerve. These factors may mean Black people have greater disability at the time of diagnosis with an even greater risk of cane dependency.4,5
These differences in patient outcomes may be due to health disparities, such as social determinants of health, gaps in healthcare professional cultural competency, and the stigma associated with an “invisible” disease.6,7 Lack of representation in clinical trials may also be contributing to health disparities, with only 5% of Black people (who make up 12% of the U.S. population) participating in clinical trials.8 More research and increasing diversity in clinical trials is needed to help better understand the MS disease course in certain populations like the Black MS community.
This is an unparalleled time in the field of MS research because we have a better understanding of how MS behaves in various patient populations, including the Black community. For decades, experts believed MS was a disease of young, White women. However, that’s not the case. Studies show just as many Black individuals have MS as their White counterparts, and the incidence may be higher, particularly in Black women, than in other ethnic populations.1,2,3
Low awareness of the Black MS experience is a factor that can delay diagnosis and, therefore, also interfere with getting started early on a high-efficacy disease-modifying therapy that may help to slow the progression of disability – an important goal of treating MS.
