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Comorbidities contribute substantially to the severity of common multiple sclerosis symptoms

Lara Marie Pangan Lo1, Bruce V Taylor1, Tania Winzenberg1

  • 1Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.

Journal of Neurology
|September 3, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Managing multiple health conditions (comorbidities) significantly worsens multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, especially pain and mental health issues. Addressing these comorbidities can improve MS symptom severity.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Research
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Understanding the impact of comorbidities on multiple sclerosis (MS) symptomatology requires further investigation.
  • Comorbidities are common in MS patients and may influence disease progression and symptom experience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dose-response relationship between the number of comorbidities and MS symptom severity.
  • To determine the contribution of specific comorbidity groups and individual conditions to the severity of each MS symptom.

Main Methods:

  • A survey of 1223 participants in the Australian MS Longitudinal Study assessed 30 comorbidities and 13 MS symptoms.
  • Negative binomial regression analyzed associations between comorbidities and symptom severity.
  • General dominance analysis quantified the relative contributions of comorbidities to symptom severity.

Main Results:

  • An increased number of comorbidities strongly correlated with greater severity of pain, anxiety, and depression.
  • Comorbidities accounted for 3.7% to 22.0% of the variance in MS symptom severity.
  • Mental health and musculoskeletal disorders were major contributors to common MS symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Early recognition and effective management of comorbidities, particularly mental health and musculoskeletal disorders, can improve MS symptom severity.
  • Targeting comorbidities offers a potential strategy to enhance the quality of life for individuals with MS.
Keywords:
ComorbidityMental health disorderMultiple sclerosisMusculoskeletal disorderPrevalenceSymptoms

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