Epidemiology

MGUS is present in about 2% to 3% of the white population aged 50 years and older.[5][6][7] Prevalence increases with age; crude estimates indicate that there are likely 3-5 million Americans affected with MGUS. MGUS is more common in men than in women, affecting about 3% of white men and about 2% of white women.[5][6][7] MGUS is 2 to 3 times more common in black people than in white people.[6][7][8][9] This is consistent with patterns seen for multiple myeloma. However, the rate of progression from MGUS to multiple myeloma (about 0.5% to 1.0% per year) is the same for black people and for white people.[10][11][12] Although underlying biologic mechanisms remain unclear, there is evidence of heterogeneity among MGUS patients of different ancestries. For example, compared with white people, black people with MGUS have reportedly lower rates of IgM MGUS than of IgG or IgA.

A geographic disparity in the prevalence of MGUS has been reported in the US: the adjusted prevalence of MGUS was 3.1% in the North/Midwest versus 2.1% in the South/West.[7]

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