METRO — Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults. MS is an autoimmune disorder in which one’s body attacks the myelin sheath protecting nerve fibers, resulting in inflammation and a number of neurological impairments. Here’s a look at MS by the numbers.

1. Most people receive MS diagnoses between the ages of 20 and 50.

2. Recent findings from the National MS Society estimate nearly one million people in the United States have MS.

3. MS Canada indicates Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, with an estimated 90,000 Canadians living with the disease.

4. One in 12 Canadians are diagnosed with MS every day.

5. About 200 new cases of MS are diagnosed each week in the United States, says the MS Discovery Forum.

6. Rates of MS are higher further from the equator. The rate of MS is between 57 and 78 cases per 100,000 people in the southern United States (below the 37th parallel), and between 110 and 140 cases in northern states.

7. The National MS Society estimates women are two to three times more likely to develop the disease than men.

8. About 15 percent of people with MS have one or more family members or relatives with the disease, says the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

9. MS can cost a person $30,000 to $100,000 per year, based on the severity of the disease.