Comorbidities at multiple sclerosis diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease with significant healthcare implications.
• Understanding comorbidities in MS is crucial for comprehensive patient management.
• In France, MS is recognized as a long-term illness (ALD) with full cost coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the nature and frequency of comorbidities at the time of multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.
• To compare the age of MS diagnosis in patients with and without comorbidities.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzed 22,087 patients diagnosed with MS before age 45 between 1995 and 2004 in France.
• Comorbidities diagnosed concurrently with MS were identified and categorized.
• Age at MS diagnosis was compared between patients with and without pre-existing conditions.

Main Results:

• Only 3% of MS patients had a diagnosed comorbidity at the time of MS notification.
• The most common comorbidities included psychiatric (40.2%), autoimmune (24.5%), cardiovascular (16.2%), cancer (12.2%), and metabolic (9.0%) diseases.
• Patients with comorbidities were diagnosed with MS at a later average age (36.9 years) compared to those without (33.6 years).
• Psychiatric disorders and diabetes were observed more frequently in MS patients than in the general population.

Conclusions:

• Comorbidities at the time of multiple sclerosis diagnosis are infrequent.
• Psychiatric disorders and diabetes represent significant comorbidities in the MS population.
• The presence of comorbidities is associated with a delayed diagnosis of MS.