Non-infectious comorbidity in patients with multiple sclerosis: A national cohort study in Sweden.

BACKGROUND

Comorbidity is of significant concern in multiple sclerosis (MS). Few population-based studies have reported conditions occurring in MS after diagnosis, especially in contemporary cohorts.

OBJECTIVE

To explore incident comorbidity, mortality and hospitalizations in MS, stratified by age and sex.

METHODS

In a Swedish population-based cohort study 6602 incident MS patients (aged ≥18 years) and 61,828 matched MS-free individuals were identified between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2016, using national registers. Incidence rates (IRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CI were calculated for each outcome.

RESULTS

IRs of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were higher among MS patients than MS-free individuals, (major adverse CVD: IRR 1.42; 95% CI 1.12-1.82; hemorrhagic/ischemic stroke: 1.46; 1.05-2.02; transient ischemic attack: 1.65; 1.09-2.50; heart failure: 1.55; 1.15-2.10); venous thromboembolism: 1.42; 1.14-1.77). MS patients also had higher risks of several non-CVDs such as autoimmune conditions (IRR 3.83; 3.01-4.87), bowel dysfunction (2.16; 1.86-2.50), depression (2.38; 2.11-2.68), and fractures (1.32; 1.19-1.47), as well as being hospitalized and to suffer from CVD-related deaths ((1.91; 1.00-3.65), particularly in females (3.57; 1.58-8.06)).

CONCLUSION

MS-patients experience a notable comorbidity burden which emphasizes the need for integrated disease management in order to improve patient care and long-term outcomes of MS.