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Mortality trends for multiple sclerosis patients in Sweden from 1968 to 2012

Sarah Burkill1, Scott Montgomery2, MohammadHossein Hajiebrahimi2

  • 1From the Clinical Epidemiology Unit (S.B., S.M., M.H., S.B) and Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology (S.B., S.B.), Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm; Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.M.), School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (S.M.), University College London, UK; Division of Neurology (J.H.) and Neuroimmunology Unit (T.O.), Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; and Biostatistics and Epidemiology Unit (M.H., S.B.), Health Faculty, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Golestan, Iran. Sarah.Burkill@ki.se.

Neurology
|July 9, 2017
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Mortality for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients significantly decreased over time, showing substantial improvements in survival rates. However, individuals with MS still face higher mortality risks compared to the general population.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease with significant impact on patient mortality.
  • Understanding mortality trends in MS is crucial for improving patient care and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze mortality trends and causes of death in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Sweden.
  • To compare mortality rates between individuals with MS and matched controls without MS.

Main Methods:

  • A Swedish cohort study identified 29,617 patients with MS (1964-2012) and matched them with 296,164 controls.
  • Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess mortality risk in the MS cohort.
  • Data on causes of death were obtained from the Causes of Death Register.

Main Results:

  • Patients with MS had a 2.92-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to controls.
  • Respiratory and infectious diseases showed the largest mortality differences (HR 5.07 and 4.07, respectively).
  • Mortality risk for MS patients significantly decreased over time, with hazard ratios reducing from 6.52 (1968-1980) to 2.08 (2001-2012).

Conclusions:

  • Substantial improvements in survival have been observed for patients with MS, with significant reductions in mortality across various causes.
  • Despite these improvements, individuals with MS continue to experience higher mortality rates than the general population.
  • Further research and interventions are needed to address the remaining mortality disparities.

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