- Researchers investigated how early treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) affects health outcomes.
- They found that earlier treatment is linked to a lower risk of disability later on.
- Seeking diagnosis and early treatment for MS at the onset of symptoms could improve patient quality of life.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory condition that occurs when the body’s immune system damages the myelin sheaths that cover and protect nerve cells.
Symptoms of MS include loss of balance, numbness or tingling, and weakness. Around
While there is currently no cure for MS, there are treatments to help manage symptoms. Research
Understanding more about how treating MS at different stages affects disability could improve treatment strategies for the condition and improve the quality of life among patients.
Recently, researchers examined health outcomes among patients who began taking treatment for MS sooner or later after symptom onset.
They found that patients who took treatment within the first 6 months of experiencing symptoms had a lower risk of disability than those who began treatment later on.
The study was published in Neurology.
For the study, the researchers included 580 MS patients with an average age of 34 years at the beginning of the study. Around 70% of participants were women, and all had received at least one treatment after a first episode of MS symptoms such as tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness.
They were categorized into three groups according to when they began treatment after symptom onset:
- 0–6 months
- 6–16 months
- more than 16 months.
The researchers then monitored their disability levels and brain scans for an average of 11 years. Disability scores ranged from zero to 10.
Ultimately, the earliest treatment group had a 45% lower…
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