A Glasgow woman who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2014 has praised researchers trying to establish why Scotland has one of the world’s highest rates of MS diagnosis.

Freelance project analyst Samantha Moir, 34, was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS five years ago.

But she is hopeful that science can delver new treatments or even a cure to help those living with the condition.

Research in Scotland is exploring reasons why Scotland has such high rates of the condition – more than 11,000 Scots have an MS diagnosis.

The disease affects the myelin coating which protects our nerves and can cause a range of symptoms from tremors to fatigue in sufferers, due to its effects on the brain and spinal cord.

The MS Society Scotland is funding more than 50 studies across the UK including ten in Scotland looking at factors such as nerve regeneration to what causes fatigue in MS, with the ultimate aim of defeating MS.

One of the researchers is Dr Ann Astier, at the University of Edinburgh, who has researched what role vitamin D might play in MS. Her project aimed to find out how immune cells move into the brain and spinal cord – where they can cause damage – and whether vitamin D is involved in that process. Dr Astier said: “MS is a very complicated condition with a number of factors determining whether you might get the condition. It is thought that one of those factors is vitamin D – which might play a role in why prevalence in Scotland is so high.

“Ultimately, learning more about the condition and providing more treatments will help people live well with the condition and that’s incredibly positive.”

Ms Moir said knowing research is ongoing is a big help. “Hearing about new treatments and the potential of research into MS is incredibly important to me,” she said. “Increasing the number of treatments means there’s a greater choice for people to find the one that’s right for them which can make MS much more manageable while living day to day life.”