SYRACUSE, NY – Syracuse has the nation’s highest rate of multiple sclerosis, according to a new study.

An analysis of medical claims by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association found the multiple sclerosis diagnosis rate in Syracuse in 2017 was 45 per 10,000 commercially insured people. By comparison, the national multiple sclerosis diagnosis rate was 24 per 10,000 people, while the rate for New York state was 31 per 10,000 people.

The study does not explain why the rate is so high here. “It’s a mystery,” said Leva Doyle, regional communications manager for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

The study is based on an analysis of medical claims from more than 41 million people nationwide insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. It does not reflect the uninsured, people on Medicare and others insured by other types of health plans.

Multiple sclerosis is a lifelong disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the body’s ability to send neurological signals between the brain and other parts of the body. Multiple sclerosis symptoms vary, but often include progressive physical and cognitive decline. The cause of the disease is unknown. While there is no cure for the disease, there are drugs that can slow its progression.

Syracuse TV weatherman Dave Longley has waged a very public battle against MS. He went off the air in 2016 and took a behind-the-scenes job at WSYR-TV Channel 9 because a tremor in his voice caused by MS was getting worse.

The report shows MS affected more than 520,000 commercially insured Americans in 2017. It also shows 75 percent of those diagnosed with MS are women.

Because the report’s findings are based on medical claims from insured patients, they may not reflect the actual incidence rate of MS in Syracuse, said Dr. Corey McGraw, an assistant professor of neurology at Upstate Medical University.

“When people are well insured, they are going to see their doctors more often and get diagnosed earlier,” McGraw said. “It may not represent our total community here in Syracuse."

Because MS is not a reportable disease it’s unknown how many cases there are in the Syracuse area. “But we do have a high population of MS patients in the area,” McGraw said.

A national study supported by the National MS Society published in February showed nearly 1 million Americans are living with MS, more than twice the number reported in previous estimates.

That study estimated the national prevalence of MS at 31 cases per 10,000 people. It found the disease is most prevalent in the Northeast, with 38 cases per 10,000. That study did not break down prevalence rates by states or metro areas.

Eileen Curran, a National MS Society spokeswoman, said the findings of the Blue Cross study and the society’s much larger study are comparable.

“It’s not a surprise Syracuse would have a much higher prevalence of MS,” Curran said.

MS is more prevalent in the Northeast and other areas in northern latitudes far from the equator that receive less sunlight.

The Blue Cross report says more than one-half of people with MS also suffer from musculoskeletal conditions such as neck and back pain.

The report also found commercially insured Americans with MS are: