Understanding Multiple Sclerosis

MS is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is one disease, but its course and symptoms vary from person to person.

Who Gets MS?

MS is a leading cause of non-traumatic disability for young people.1,2

  • 1M

    Approximate number of people in the U.S. that have MS2

  • 20-40

    Age range in which MS is commonly diagnosed3

  • 2x

    Women are more likely than men to have MS2

MS prevalence is highest in countries furthest from the equator4

Symptoms Can Affect Nearly Every Part of the Body and the Mind

People with MS can experience many types of symptoms.5

Fatigue

Experienced by up to 90% of people with MS6

Difficulty Walking

Experienced by more than 50% of people with MS within 15 years of onset5,7,8

Vision Difficulties

Common, and a first symptom in 15-20% of people with MS9

Bladder Issues

Experienced by at least 80% of people with MS10

Depression

Approximately 2x more likely in people with MS11

Sleep Problems

Twice as likely in people with MS12

MS has Different Disease Courses

MS is categorized into courses based on how the disease generally behaves and whether or not there is disease activity and a steady increase in disability over time. For explanation of disease courses, please visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. 13

RELAPSING-REMITTING MS
SECONDARY PROGRESSIVE MS
PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE MS

Disease Activity can be Measured

No matter what course of MS a person has, relapsing or progressive forms of MS may be active or inactive at different points in time.14 Disease activity may be outwardly apparent with new or worsening signs or symptoms (relapses or disability progression). There can also be underlying disease activity that is detected with special equipment like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Relapse

A relapse, or exacerbation of MS (also known as an attack or flare-up), causes new symptoms or the worsening of old symptoms.15 The attack must last at least 24 hours and be separated from the previous attack by at least one month. Most relapses last from a few days to several weeks or even months, and can be followed by an incomplete or full recovery.

Disability Progression

How fast or slow disability worsens may vary, but progression is a sustained increase in disability over time.

MRI Activity

Lesions are inflamed or damaged areas of the CNS that can be seen with MRI. Lesions may appear or grow larger without immediately noticeable consequences, but can be a sign of irreversible damage that may lead to disability progression.16

More is Being Done

There is no cure for MS, but research continues to better understand and treat the disease.5

What causes MS?
What new ways can disease activity be monitored?
How can we better study new medicines for MS?
How can we predict which patients will benefit from a certain treatment?

References

1 Murray TJ. (2006). Diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis. BMJ, 322 (7540):525-527.

2 Mitchell T. Wallin, et al. The prevalence of MS in the United States. Neurology. April 4, 2019. Available at https://n.neurology.org/content/92/10/e1029.

3 MS International Federation. What is MS? Available at http://www.msif.org/about-ms/what-is-ms/.

4 Simpson S, et al. (2011) Latitude is significantly associated with the prevalence of multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 82(10):1132-1141.

5 National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2015). Multiple Sclerosis: Hope Through Research. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Hope-Through-Research/Multiple-Sclerosis-Hope-Through-Research.

6 Hemmett L, et al. (2004) What drives quality of life in multiple sclerosis? QJM, 97(10):671–6.

7 Souza A, et al. (2010) Multiple sclerosis and mobility-related assistive technology: systematic review of the literature. J Rehabil Res Dev, 47:213–223.

8 National Multiple Sclerosis Society. (2010). Gait or Walking Problems. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/NationalMSSociety/media/MSNationalFiles/Brochures/Brochure-Gait-or-Walking-Problems.pdf.

9 United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Visual Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis. Available at: http://www.va.gov/MS/Veterans/symptom_management/Visual_Dysfunction_in_Multiple_Sclerosis.asp

10 National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Bladder Problems. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms/Bladder-Dysfunction

11 Siegert RJ, Abernethy DA. (2005). Depression in multiple sclerosis: a review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 76:469–475.

12 Lobentanz IS, et al. (2004). Factors influencing quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients: Disability, depressive mood, fatigue and sleep quality. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 110:6–13.

13 National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Types of MS. Available at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Types-of-MS.

14 Lublin F.D. et al. (2014). Defining the clinical course of multiple sclerosis. Neurology, 83(3),278-86.

15 National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Managing Relapses. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Treating-MS/Managing-Relapses.

16 Erbayat A, et al. (2013). Reliability of classifying multiple sclerosis disease activity using magnetic resonance imaging in a multiple sclerosis clinic. JAMA Neurol, 70(3):338-44.

OCR/102716/0399