Health Canada Study on MS and Comorbidities

[Cherie]

I saw this article this morning in MedPage Today and wanted to share. Interesting results.

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[agate]

This part seems surprising:

Although women with MS were expected to have higher rates of fibromyalgia and depression, the study authors did not anticipate that women with MS would have a 39% higher prevalence of chronic lung disease at MS diagnosis compared with non-MS women, or that men with MS would have only a 21% higher prevalence of chronic lung disease.

[SuzE-Q]

Interesting to read the whole list. Thanks.

I had no co-morbidities at diagnosis, or at first symptom either. Happy and healthy (but was smoking, although no lung disease). What about others?

[Virginia]

Suze, yes for me. I was single, living alone and having symptoms that I had no idea what they were or what they were caused by. I was working and scared that I would not be able to continue to work. Therefore, there was a lot of anxiety, not sleeping well, etc.

[SalpalSally]

Couldn't get in needed to be a member.u.

If it was about having other illnesses with my MS, I had no other illnesses.
Just MS. . I smoked, but no lung problems at all. One of the lucky ones, I guess?

[agate]

No comorbidities at the time of diagnosis though since about 15 I'd had a tendency to get sinus infections that often turned into bronchitis.

[Gary]

Interesting. I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol at Dx. I had both since I was 20 Y.O. Although the BP was not life threatening until the last few years. The neuro blames it on brain stem involvement.

[stillstANNding]

I was 21 when first hospitalized. No comorbidities.

ANN

[Sunshine]

Asthma here. i hate the asthma more than the MS,

I guess they will find there are certain genes involved in all of those co morbid conditions.

I know people with asthma have a higher rate of anxiety.

[Cherie]

I think the lung disease is significant nd they do not quantify it further with who was a smoker and not. We know that smokers tend to progress faster and have more significant comorbidities overall from more recent studies looking at smoking and non-smoking people with MS. I think the study was good and eye opening but could have been refined a bit in the information disseminated. Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register... is perfectly set up to pull this type of information from members and the Research Committee (I am on it) is considering doing a study of this nature in the future. If you want to confidentially share your data, please go to the website and begin. It would be appreciated. They are also looking for persons without MS to share as controls.

[Moonwolf]

I wonder how many of the symptoms, like high blood pressure and depression, are caused by years of being jerked around before we get our dxs?

[Howie]

I had no other medical problems until I was DXed at 44. Then BP went through the roof, along with depression, anxiety attacks, cholesterol levels, etc. ALL started shortly after my DX. Medications have brought everything under control.

[agate]

I wonder how many of the symptoms, like high blood pressure and depression, are caused by years of being jerked around before we get our dxs?

Moonwolf, how nice to see you posting!

And what a good point. These MS boards are filled with accounts by people who went from doctor to doctor and finally, sometimes after 5-10 years or even longer, it turned out that they had a definite diagnosis of MS. Being in limbo for so long wouldn't be just a source of anxiety--it would wear a person down and be very depressing, particularly with family, job and maybe housing all hanging in the balance.

[Moonwolf]

These MS boards are filled with accounts by people who went from doctor to doctor and finally, sometimes after 5-10 years or even longer, it turned out that they had a definite diagnosis of MS.

Nice to see you. Yes those are the people I was thinking of.

[Cherie]

For me it was 19 years from first hospitalization till diagnosis.