Nursing home residents with multiple sclerosis: comparisons of African American residents to white residents at admission

This research profiles African American residents with multiple sclerosis (MS) at admission to the nursing facility and compares them to profiles of white residents with MS using the Minimum Data Set (MDS). We analysed MDS admission assessments for 1367 African Americans with MS and 9294 whites with MS. African American residents with MS were significantly younger at admission than white residents with MS, with almost one half of these African Americans 50 years or younger compared to only one quarter of these whites. African American residents with MS were significantly more physically disabled and cognitively impaired at admission than white residents with MS. Although there were significant racial differences in disability, there were no significant racial differences among these MS residents in the use of various therapies provided by qualified therapists. These observed racial differences among MS residents in disease manifestations, severity, progression and disability are due to multiple variables and point out the need for more research. By combining discoveries from genetics, immunology, epidemiology and virology we can gain a better understanding of the complex pathophysiology of MS and develop more effective treatments and preventive measures. Our findings also indicate potential racial disparities in the use of MS-related care, illustrating that a greater outreach effort may be needed to evaluate and treat African Americans with MS.