Improving Quality of Life in Polish patients with multiple sclerosis: a multicentre analysis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease leading to disability, that mostly affects young and middle-aged adults. This study was aimed at evaluating the impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors, including changes in access to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), on the quality of life (QoL) of Polish individuals with MS and to compare the findings to earlier national studies.

Data was collected from patients with MS across 19 MS treatment centres in Poland between February and April 2024. QoL was assessed using the EuroQol five-dimension, five-level (EQ-5D-5L) index and the EQ Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS). Sociodemographic and clinical data was obtained via a standardised questionnaire.

The study included 3,165 patients with MS (mean age: 42.03 years; disease duration: 10.6 ± 7.85 years; female-to-male ratio 2.2:1). The mean EQ-5D-5L index score was 0.89 (± 0.15), and the mean EQ-VAS score was 71.58 (± 18.67), indicating an overall moderate-to-good QoL in the studied cohort. Pain/discomfort (80.7%) and anxiety/depression (79.6%) were the most frequently reported problems. Higher QoL scores were associated with younger age, relapsing-remitting MS, lower disability (EDSS ≤ 3.5), shorter disease duration, lack of comorbidities, employment, urban residence, childlessness, DMT usage, and infrequent DMTs switches (p < 0.001). When compared to earlier Polish studies, these results suggest a meaningful improvement in QoL over the past decade.

The QoL of Polish patients with MS remains diminished compared to that of the general population. However, there has been a notable improvement compared to previous national data. This trend probably reflects advances in MS care, including wider access to novel DMTs and optimised treatment strategies.