Key result
Multiple sclerosis in adults over 50 linked to worse health measures versus matched controls.
Why the study?
Although the highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis is seen in people aged 55 to 64 years, studies evaluating this older population remain limited.
Does having multiple sclerosis affect outcomes and health care service use in adults 50 years or older compared to matched controls without MS?
Observational (n=21,492)
Does having multiple sclerosis affect outcomes and health care service use in adults 50 years or older compared to matched controls without MS?
In adults aged 50 and older, having multiple sclerosis is associated with worse health outcomes and increased healthcare service use compared to aging alone.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
MS-linked health decrements exceed aging effects alone in adults ≥50; leaves open whether targeted interventions improve outcomes.
BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) typically presents in young adulthood. Recent data show the highest prevalence of MS in people aged 55 to 64 years; however, there are limited studies of this population. METHODS: Administrative US claims data from IBM-Truven MarketScan commercial and Medicare databases (2011-2017) were analyzed. People with MS 50 years or older were assigned to the aging MS cohort (n = 10,746). The matched controls were people 50 years or older without MS (n = 10,746). Multivariable models compared outcomes between groups. CONCLUSIONS: In people 50 years or older, measures typically associated with worse health primarily resulted from having MS rather than being a consequence of aging alone.
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Freeman et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Multiple Sclerosis (n=21,492). Multiple Sclerosis vs. Matched controls without MS was evaluated on Outcomes and health care service use (p=<.0001). In adults 50 years or older, having multiple sclerosis was associated with worse health measures compared to matched controls without MS.
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