Announcing National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act

Registry Would Collect Accurate MS Data and Risk Factors

Thank you to all MS activists who have been pushing for a national multiple sclerosis registry. Senator Byron Dorgan (ND) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would for the first time establish a national coordinated system to collect and analyze data on multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease — the National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act (S. 1273).

Many of you have expressed concern about whether the current numbers accurately reflect the MS community. Ask your Senators to support the MS registry legislation. Click here and enter your ZIP to take action.

This legislation would establish separate registries for MS and Parkinson's disease at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The epidemiological data collected and analyzed through the MS registry will provide a foundation for evaluating and understanding MS issues such as geographic clusters of diagnosis, genetic and environmental risk factors, variances in gender ratio, disease burden, and changes in health care practices. Read more here (pdf).

Thank you for being an MS activist. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org/advocacy.