An analysis of more than 42,000 U.S. deaths linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) found that death rates varied by age, geography, race and ethnicity, with Black patients dying younger than white patients and high blood pressure emerging as a growing contributor. The findings, published in the journal Neurology, point to the need for timely diagnosis and better prevention strategies to help people with MS live longer.
MS is a chronic disease that damages the brain and spinal cord, leading to vision problems, muscle weakness, fatigue and other symptoms. Although people with MS have shorter life expectancies than the general population, the disease affects each person differently.
"There are lingering questions about how factors such as health care access, coexisting health conditions, and demographic characteristics affect a person's risk of mortality," said Lilyana Amezcua, MD, an associate professor of neurology and division chief for neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, who led the research.
Overall, the researchers found that death rates among people with MS increased over the 12 years analyzed, even when comparing people in the same age groups.
