Racial Disparities in Multiple Sclerosis Disease Burden

Numerous studies have shown that Black Americans with multiple sclerosis have worse outcomes than their white counterparts. Using a multicenter cohort, researchers sought to determine whether differences in socioeconomic status alone account for this racial disparity in multiple sclerosis disease burden. They used data from the Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology Health Solutions network, a pharmaceutical-sponsored collaboration that includes seven U.S.-based multiple sclerosis centers. Researchers stratified patients based on self-reported race — which was Black for 1214 participants and white for 7530 participants — and used education level, employment status, and insurance status as proxies for socioeconomic status. For a su…