The prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the Republic of Dagestan

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a clinical and epidemiological analysis of the prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Republic of Dagestan from 2023 to 2025. The findings will be used to develop prevention and care interventions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comparative analysis of MS prevalence in the Republic of Dagestan from 2023 to 2025 was conducted. This analysis included observational data on age, gender, disease onset, disease progression type, clinical manifestations, treatment regimens, and neurological and ophthalmological assessments. RESULTS: The comparative analysis of data collected for 2023, 2024, and 2025 revealed a notable annual increase in the number of MS patients, alongside a consistent gender disparity, with a ratio of women to men approximately equal to 2.5:1. Furthermore, there was a significant 12-year increase in the average age of onset among males and a 5.5-year increase in females. An increase was observed in the remitting MS, while the primary-progressive type remained relatively stable. Conversely, there was a decrease in the proportion of patients with the secondary-progressive type, potentially inversely correlated with the increase in remitting cases. During this period, a downward trend in the average age of disease onset was observed for both sexes, particularly among women. Notably, the treatment of patients with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) was not uniformly implemented, attributed to either non-adherence to therapeutic selection criteria or patients' voluntary discontinuation of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The first study focusing on the clinical and epidemiological features of MS in the Republic of Dagestan was conducted in 2009. The findings indicate a substantial increase in the number of MS patients from 2023 to 2025. The data from this study have significant practical implications for the development of regional programs that provide targeted assistance to MS patients, promote early prevention, and facilitate effective medical rehabilitation.