Higher Burden of Comorbidity Linked to Worse Clinical Outcomes in MS
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Sept. 23, 2024 -- For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a higher burden of comorbidity is associated with worse clinical outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in JAMA Neurology to coincide with the annual meeting of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, held from Sept. 18 to 20 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Amber Salter, Ph.D., from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues examined the association of comorbidities with disease activity in clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies in populations with MS in a two-stage meta-analytic approach. The cohort study included individual participant data for 16,794 participants with MS from 17 phase 3 clinical trials of MS disease-modifying therapies.
The researchers found that 61.0 percent of the pooled trials had evidence of disease activity (EDA) during the two-year follow-up period. After adjustment for multiple factors, compared with no comorbidity, the presence of three or more comorbidities was associated with an increased risk for EDA (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14). The risk for EDA was also increased with presence of two or more versus no cardiometabolic conditions (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.21). Increased hazard of EDA was seen in association with one psychiatric disorder (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07).
"As these findings are coherent with observational studies using different study designs and data sources, evidence suggests that clinicians need to routinely address comorbidity in people with MS," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry; the study was based on research using data from pharmaceutical companies.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
Racialized Economic Segregation Linked to Advanced Cancer Diagnosis
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- People living in racially and economically segregated neighborhoods are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast and cervical cancer...
New Subtype of Diabetes Identified in Sub-Saharan Africans, Black Americans
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- A new diabetes subtype has been identified in Sub-Saharan Africans and Black Americans, according to a study published online July 21 in The Lancet...
Changes in Missouri Law Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Screening Rates
THURSDAY, July 31, 2025 -- Changes in Missouri law expanding breast cancer screening coverage have led to increased screening rates among Medicaid patients and an increased...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.