MS disease trajectory

MS and ageing: nobody wants to get old. #MSBlog #MSResearch

Epub: Bove et al. No sex-specific difference in disease trajectory in multiple sclerosis patients before and after age 50. BMC Neurol. 2013 Jul 3;13(1):73.

BACKGROUND: The disease course in MS is influenced by many factors, including age, sex, and sex hormones. Little is known about sex-specific changes in disease course around age 50, which may represent a key biological transition period for reproductive aging.

METHODS: Male and female subjects with no prior chemotherapy exposure were selected from a prospective MS cohort to form groups representing the years before (38-46 years, N=351) and after (54-62 years, N=200) age 50. Primary analysis assessed for interaction between effects of sex and age on clinical (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS; relapse rate) and radiologic (T2 lesion volume, T2LV; brain parenchymal fraction, BPF) outcomes. Secondarily, we explored MSers or patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

RESULTS: As expected, there were age- and sex- related changes with male and older cohorts showing worse disease severity (EDSS), brain atrophy (BPF), and more progressive course.There was no interaction between age and sex on cross-sectional adjusted clinical (EDSS, relapse rate) or radiologic (BPF, T2LV) measures, or on 2-year trajectories of decline.There was a significant interaction between age and sex for a physical functioning PRO (SF-36): the older female cohort reported lower physical functioning than men (p=0.002). There were no differences in depression (Center for Epidemiological Study  Depression, CES-D) or fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, MFIS) scores.

CONCLUSIONS: There was no interaction between age and sex suggestive of an effect of reproductive aging on clinical or radiologic progression. Prospective analyses across the menopausal transition are needed.   

"MS predisposes the brain to premature ageing. The healthier you keep your brain the better you age. How do MSers keep their brain healthy? That's a story for another day."

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