Armed Forces at greater risk of dying from MS, warn scientists
SOLDIERS, sailors and airmen are almost twice as likely to die from multiple sclerosis than other jobs, surprise findings on how the condition affects different occupations have suggested.
Disease experts want more research, amid speculation the proximity of military life could help the spread of viruses linked to the debilitating illness.
Scientists from the Medical Research Council and the Health and Safety Executive looked at the death certificates of nearly 3.7million soldiers, sailors and airmen over 31 years to examine mortality rates from MS across job types.
They found data showing that men whose last occupation was marked down as Armed Forces were at much greater risk of dying from the incurable neurological disorder.
The research in the journal Occupational Medicine was unable to explain the findings, but concluded it was unlikely to be due to chance and could be due to an “unidentified occupational hazard” from serving in the forces.
The authors found: “Men from the Armed Forces in England and Wales have experienced elevated proportional mortality from MS in each of three successive decades. The consistency and statistical significance of the excess indicate that it is most unlikely to have occurred simply by chance.”
“Moreover, our findings suggest that it cannot be explained entirely by selective exclusion from other employment when leaving the military, by low mortality in servicemen from the most common causes of death or by non-occupational factors related to social class. The possibility of an unidentified occupational hazard remains.”
US studies have hinted that MS rates could be higher among soldiers who served in the first Gulf War of 1990-91, but the British survey found relatively consistent rates across three decades.
Around 100,000 people in the UK have the condition, where the immune system attacks the layer surrounding and protecting the nerves, reducing life expectancy by an average of seven to nine years.
Genetic and environmental factors are blamed for MS and it has been
‘Men from the Armed Forces have experienced elevated proportional mortality from MS in three decades’
linked to some infections. The authors speculated: “The proximity in which military recruits live and work might facilitate the transmission of one or more infections that later trigger MS. Given the suspicions raised by our analysis, there is a case for analysing data from other military cohorts to check if they support the possibility of an occupational hazard.”
David Schley, from the MS Society, said: “We know different circumstances, such as where you live and work, play a role. This research suggests being in the Army may increase the risk. We welcome more studies.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman last night said: “The causes for MS are complex and can be due to a number of factors. As the study itself notes, more research is needed.”