Mortality from multiple sclerosis in British military personnel
Mortality from multiple sclerosis in British military personnel
Background
While analysing trends in occupational mortality in England and Wales, we noticed an unexpectedly elevated proportion of deaths from multiple sclerosis (MS) among men in the armed forces.
Aims
To document and explore possible explanations for the observed excess.
Methods
We analysed data on underlying cause of death and last full-time occupation for 3688916 deaths among men aged 20–74 years in England and Wales during 1979–2010, calculating proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) standardized for age. We compared PMRs for MS in the armed forces with those for each main social class, and in selected other occupations. We also compared PMRs for MS with those for motor neurone disease (MND).
Results
The overall PMR for MS in the armed forces during 1979–2010 was 243 (95% CI 203–288). The excess was apparent in each of three separate decades of study (PMRs, ranging from 220 to 259), and across the entire age range. PMRs for MS were not elevated to the same extent in comparator occupations, nor in any of the main social classes. There was no parallel increase in PMRs for MND.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that the high proportional mortality from MS in British military personnel is unlikely to have occurred by chance, or as an artefact of the method of investigation. However, the only military cohort study with published results on MS does not support an increased risk. It would be useful to analyse data on MS from other established military cohorts, to check for evidence of a hazard.
multiple sclerosis, cause of death, Armed forces, military, mortality, Motor Neurone Disease
448–452
Harris, E. Clare
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Palmer, Keith
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Cox, Vanessa
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Darnton, Andrew
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Osman, John
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Coggon, David
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1 August 2017
Harris, E. Clare
3e4bd946-3f09-45a1-8725-d35e80dd7971
Palmer, Keith
0cfe63f0-1d33-40ff-ae8c-6c33601df850
Cox, Vanessa
0edb4291-8b30-4914-9918-841268605d21
Darnton, Andrew
665e539a-4ed9-41e6-91f5-adbd3bb61584
Osman, John
b426fe7e-1a4f-4730-a6d4-621b468dc4db
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Harris, E. Clare, Palmer, Keith, Cox, Vanessa, Darnton, Andrew, Osman, John and Coggon, David
(2017)
Mortality from multiple sclerosis in British military personnel.
Occupational Medicine, 67 (6), .
(doi:10.1093/occmed/kqx083).
Abstract
Background
While analysing trends in occupational mortality in England and Wales, we noticed an unexpectedly elevated proportion of deaths from multiple sclerosis (MS) among men in the armed forces.
Aims
To document and explore possible explanations for the observed excess.
Methods
We analysed data on underlying cause of death and last full-time occupation for 3688916 deaths among men aged 20–74 years in England and Wales during 1979–2010, calculating proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) standardized for age. We compared PMRs for MS in the armed forces with those for each main social class, and in selected other occupations. We also compared PMRs for MS with those for motor neurone disease (MND).
Results
The overall PMR for MS in the armed forces during 1979–2010 was 243 (95% CI 203–288). The excess was apparent in each of three separate decades of study (PMRs, ranging from 220 to 259), and across the entire age range. PMRs for MS were not elevated to the same extent in comparator occupations, nor in any of the main social classes. There was no parallel increase in PMRs for MND.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that the high proportional mortality from MS in British military personnel is unlikely to have occurred by chance, or as an artefact of the method of investigation. However, the only military cohort study with published results on MS does not support an increased risk. It would be useful to analyse data on MS from other established military cohorts, to check for evidence of a hazard.
Text
17-OP-018.R2Final revised changes accepted ech
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 26 April 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 June 2017
Published date: 1 August 2017
Keywords:
multiple sclerosis, cause of death, Armed forces, military, mortality, Motor Neurone Disease
Organisations:
Human Development & Health, Medical Research Council
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 410587
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/410587
ISSN: 0962-7480
PURE UUID: ce3c54e5-2ef0-4094-98c7-79c204ec290f
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 09 Jun 2017 09:11
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 05:20
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Contributors
Author:
E. Clare Harris
Author:
Keith Palmer
Author:
Vanessa Cox
Author:
Andrew Darnton
Author:
John Osman
Author:
David Coggon
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