Comorbidity in a sample of Egyptian patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Background Comorbidities are commonly associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Not only do they delay the diagnosis of MS but also deteriorate the quality of life, progress the disease, and perhaps increase health care costs. This study was performed to assess the prevalence of comorbidities in Egyptian patients with MS and to evaluate its effect on the cognitive function, disability, and disease relapse. Patients and methods All patients were subjected to clinical assessment and cognitive evaluation using the mini-mental state examination and the symbol digit modalities test. The relapse was assessed using the Assessing Relapse in Multiple Sclerosis questionnaire. Results The current study included 420 participants. Of them, 310 patients had MS, whereas 110 did not have MS (control group). The most common comorbidities among patients with MS were depression, in 71 (22.9%); anxiety, in 68 (21.9%); and hypertension, in 59 (19.0%). Patients with MS with comorbidities experienced a statistically significant (P0.05). Conclusion Egyptian patients with MS and comorbidities were more vulnerable to develop cognitive dysfunction and disability, relative to those without. However, the negative effect of comorbidities on disease relapse was not established. Employment of such knowledge in MS treatment protocols might reflect considerably on the quality of life and disease outcomes.

Keywords

• cognition
• comorbidity
• multiple sclerosis
• relapse