Medication Use in Multiple Sclerosis: A Population-Based Comparison With the General Danish Population.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition impacting individuals worldwide.
• Management of MS often involves disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and symptomatic treatments.
• Comprehensive understanding of non-DMT medication use in MS is crucial for holistic patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the utilization of prescription medications, excluding DMTs, in individuals with MS versus the general population.
• To identify specific medication classes and drugs with differential use patterns between MS patients and controls.
• To inform healthcare strategies for optimizing the management of symptoms and comorbidities in MS.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide, registry-based cohort study was conducted in Denmark.
• Included were 14,491 individuals diagnosed with MS (aged 20-80) and 144,910 matched controls from the general population.
• Prescription data from the Danish National Prescription Registry were analyzed over a 1-year period.

Main Results:

• Individuals with MS showed significantly higher use of analgesics (51% vs. 33%), agents for constipation (12% vs. 3%), spasmolytics, and urological medications.
• Notably higher relative risks (RR) were observed for modafinil (RR: 323.33), baclofen (RR: 36.51), and fesoterodine (RR: 36.36) in the MS cohort.
• Conversely, lower usage of antidiabetic medications and COPD treatments was noted in individuals with MS.

Conclusions:

• This study demonstrates substantial non-DMT prescription medication use for symptom and comorbidity management in individuals with MS.
• Findings underscore the importance of addressing a wide spectrum of patient needs beyond DMTs.
• Healthcare providers can leverage these insights to refine patient management protocols and enhance overall care quality for the MS population.