Nutrition, latitude, and multiple sclerosis mortality: an ecologic study.

An epidemiologic study has been performed on the relation between the mortality rates from multiple sclerosis for the period 1983-1989 obtained for 36 countries, dietary fat, and latitude. By stepwise multiple regression analysis, saturated fatty acids, animal fat, animal minus fish fat, and latitude correlated independently and positively with multiple sclerosis mortality (p < 0.01-0.001 for fat consumption, and p < 0.05-0.01 for latitude). The ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (P/S ratio) and the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids) to saturated fatty acids (U/S ratio) correlated independently and negatively with multiple sclerosis mortality (p < 0.05-0.001). These findings support the hypothesis linking dietary fat intake and latitude to multiple sclerosis mortality.