Men with multiple sclerosis seem to be more than twice as likely to transmit the disease to their children as women with this disease, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic.
Men with multiple sclerosis seem to be more than twice as likely to transmit the disease to their children as women with this disease, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic.

This finding may come as a surprise to some because multiple sclerosis is more than twice as common in women as in men. But researchers say this difference in prevalence may have something to do with a father's higher chance of passing genetic risk factors for the disease to his offspring.

Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative nerve disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is estimated that nearly 1 in 1,000 people will develop this disease that slowly attacks the nervous system and causes difficulty walking, pain, fatigue and depression among other symptoms. It is believed that both genetics and the environment play a part in its development; about 15 percent of patients with multiple sclerosis have at least one family member with the disease.

"A combination of genes and unknown environmental factors work together to cause multiple sclerosis," said lead study author, Dr. Orhun Kantarci, neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.....