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Patterns of Multimorbidity in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: Belgrade Population Registry Data
Gorica Maric1, Tatjana Pekmezovic1, Olivera Tamas2,3
1Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Neuroepidemiology
|January 10, 2026
Summary
Multimorbidity is less common in Belgrade
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Multimorbidity, defined as having at least two comorbidities alongside a confirmed diagnosis, is a significant concern in managing chronic conditions.
- Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) often experience a complex interplay of health issues, necessitating a deeper understanding of their multimorbidity patterns.
- Population-based registries are crucial for accurately assessing disease prevalence and associated conditions within specific patient cohorts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity among patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in the Belgrade region.
- To compare the prevalence of multimorbidity in PwMS with that of the general population in Serbia.
- To investigate the relationship between multimorbidity and disease progression markers in PwMS.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Belgrade population-based Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Registry, encompassing 2725 PwMS.
- Extracted data on PwMS with multimorbidity to create a dedicated database for analysis.
- Compared prevalence data with published findings on multimorbidity in the Serbian general population.
Main Results:
- Multimorbidity was identified in 20.3% of PwMS in Belgrade, with an average of 2.6 comorbidities per affected patient.
- PwMS with multimorbidity exhibited shorter disease duration, higher EDSS scores, and increased PI compared to those without.
- While overall multimorbidity prevalence was lower in PwMS (20.3%) than the general population (26.9%), younger PwMS (20-44 years) showed significantly higher prevalence rates, particularly females.
Conclusions:
- The overall prevalence of multimorbidity is lower in the Belgrade MS population compared to the general Serbian population.
- However, PwMS experience a peak prevalence of multimorbidity at a younger age (20-44 years) than the general population (65+ years).
- Multimorbidity is associated with faster disease progression in PwMS, indicated by higher PI scores.
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