First 'warning signs' of MS that strike up to five years before diagnosis
People who developed multiple sclerosis were more likely to have depression, constipation, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) five years before they were diagnosed with MS, researchers have revealed.
It's not unusual for underlying processes to start well before a diagnosis is made; and that's exactly the case for MS, according to researchers at Sorbonne University in Paris. MS patients were 22% more likely to have depression five years before diagnosis than people without MS.
The patients were also 50% more likely to have constipation, 38% more likely to have urinary tract infections, 47% more likely to have sexual problems, and 21% more likely to have cystitis, or bladder infections. The findings could help those at risk of developing MS in the future - for example, those with a family history of the condition.
Study author Professor Celine Louapre said: "Knowing that these conditions may be prodromal symptoms or even early-stage symptoms of MS would not necessarily lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease in the general population, since these conditions are common and could also be signs of other diseases. But this information could be helpful for people who are at a higher risk of developing MS, such as people with a family history of the disease or those who show signs of MS on brain scans but do not have any symptoms of the disease."
The study involved more than 20,000 people newly diagnosed with MS. They were each matched with three people who did not have MS of the same age and sex, for a total of 54,790 people. Then the people with MS were also compared to more than 30,000 people with Crohn's disease and 7,337 people with lupus. MS, Crohn's disease and lupus are all autoimmune diseases. They all affect women more often than men and affect young adults.
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The research team then used the medical records database to see whether the participants had any of 113 diseases and symptoms in the five years before and after their diagnosis, or before that matching date for the people who did not have an autoimmune disease.
Professor Louapre added: ""We're hoping that eventually these early signs will help us understand the biological mechanisms that occur in the body before the actual symptoms of the disease develop." MS is a condition that affects the spinal cord and the brain, and it could lead to variety of complications in balance, vision, sensation, and even movement. It's a lifetime condition, and the life expectancy of patients is reduced after diagnosis.
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