Diagnostic symptoms, treatment patterns, and healthcare resource utilization in multiple system atrophy in the United...

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with diverse symptoms that complicate diagnosis. We aimed to characterize MSA-related symptoms, medications, and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU).

This retrospective cohort study used a large US claims database. Newly diagnosed patients >30 years old with ≥2 MSA diagnosis (2017 - 2021) were matched to controls. Endpoints related to MSA symptoms, prescriptions, and HCRU were compared between the two groups during the first year after diagnosis. Conditional logistic regression models examined the association between each outcome and MSA.

A total of 1187 MSA patients and 4748 matched-controls were compared. MSA patients had significantly higher rates of various symptoms, respectively (OR and 95% CI): orthostatic hypotension (38.7% and 0.8%; 89.6, 57.3 - 140.2); memory disorders (22.4% and 3.6%; 9.2, 7.3 - 11.6); motor symptoms (78.1% and 33.1%; 7.5, 6.4 - 8.7); falls (11.1% and 2.2%; 6.4, 4.8 - 8.5); fatigue (46.6% and 13.6%; 5.8, 5.0 - 6.7); mood disorder (62.3% and 24.2%; 5.5, 4.8 - 6.4); and urinary dysfunction (30.8% and 9.1%; 4.9, 4.1 - 5.8), among other. They also received more medications for these conditions and had higher rates of hospitalizations and other HCRU.

This real-world study of MSA-related symptoms, treatments, and HCRU demonstrates the significant disease burden associated with MSA.