Correlation of multiple sclerosis incidence in the UK 1990-2010 with geomagnetic disturbances

TL;DR

This paper explores the correlation between geomagnetic disturbances and multiple sclerosis incidence in the UK from 1990 to 2010, proposing a new hypothesis that GMD influences MS trends, which could explain previous unexplained incidence patterns.

Contribution

It introduces the GMD hypothesis as a novel explanation for MS incidence trends and suggests methodological revisions for better environmental factor analysis.

Findings

Significant correlation between GMD and MS incidence changes

GMD hypothesis can explain MS incidence trends

Proposes revised reporting methods for MS data

Abstract

Recently, Mackenzie et al. reported incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK from 1990-2010. Authors of this report indicated that they could not explain the cause of decreasing MS incidence trend in the UK during this time period. Such inability mainly resulted from the fact that often-cited hypotheses of MS, such as vitamin D deficiency hypothesis, cannot provide any answer for MS incidence trends. However, the newly proposed hypothesis of MS that is based on the biological effects of geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) has the ability to provide explanations for this observed trend. In this commentary, we showed that there is a significant correlation among alterations in GMD with changes in MS incidence and explained how researchers can use GMD hypothesis to evaluate such relations. Moreover, we clarified why we need a revision in the method of reporting MS incidence data to find actual environmental factor of MS.