Multiple Sclerosis: first symptoms and causes of a disease that mainly affects women

The multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS).

The prevalence in our country is 0.11% of the total population, that is, some 55,000 patients. Three new cases are diagnosed every day in Spain.

And women are more prone to it.

In fact, according to data from the , three out of four patients are women. Most diagnoses occur between the ages of 20 and 40.

We are talking about a disease that is the main cause of disability non-traumatic in young adults.

The main symptoms of multiple sclerosis are:

• CNS inflammation.

• Double vision.

• Sensory loss.

• Weakness in the extremities.

• Fatigue.

• Dificulty to walk.

• Loss of bladder and bowel control.

• Cognitive dysfunction.

74.4% of patients suffer from the remitting form of multiple sclerosis freepik

This is a complex disease, since 74.4% of patients suffer from the remitting form of the disease.

Additionally, 70% of people with multiple sclerosis are unable to perform daily activities 15 years after diagnosis. What produces that, on average, every year 1,000 workers leave the labor market prematurely.

The latest treatments for multiple sclerosis

Unfortunately, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis.

• However, as he explains to this portal the Dr. Berta Sebastianfrom the EM Unit of the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza, “right now we are in a good moment because there are more than fifteen drugs approved and available in Spain”.

They are drugs that are intended to “control the occurrence of flare-ups” and multiple sclerosis-related brain lesions that are visible through MRI tests.

One of the latest drugs to come onto the market is ocrelizumaba humanized monoclonal anti-CD2 antibody, which has been available since 2018.

It is a medication that is administered in a concentrate for solution for intravenous infusion, only 2 times a year, and considerably reduces the occurrence of outbreaks of the disease.

Other similar drugs have a completely innovative presentation, since it is shaped like a pen to facilitate its injection, which can be done by the patient himself from home. It is only administered once a month.

• “It improves the administration of treatment and it is more comfortable for patients because they do not have to spend a whole morning in the hospital”, highlights the specialist.

But unfortunately these drugs do not slow the progress of multiple sclerosis.

Its function is to control the appearance of outbreaks (which can even last for weeks), which can cause instability, bladder problems, alteration of touch and even double vision.

They are drugs calleddisease modifiers” because “they modify the natural evolution of the disease”.

• “Since the treatments are on the market, the costs have been drastically reduced. brain damageTherefore, the prognosis of the patients has improved remarkably. The number of people who finally end up in wheelchairs 15 years after diagnosis has dropped a lot in recent years.

A lifelong chronic disease, for which a treatment that slows down the disease that inevitably ends with disability is still being investigated.

Multiple Sclerosis Prognosis

Although the quality of life of multiple sclerosis patients worsens over the course of the disease, most people will have a similar life expectancy to the average.

Experts consider that longevity may be about seven years less, but not because of the disease itself, but because of the complications or diseases derived from multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis does not affect quality of life freepik

“They do not have a significantly reduced hope, except for those who have been accumulating disability and who have a higher risk of other problems derived from the disease.”

The most frequent comorbidities in this type of patients are:

• The

• Dyslipidemia (high concentration of lipids in the blood)

• Chronic lung disease

• disorders and depression.

And it is that 74.4% of patients suffer from the relapsing-remitting form of the disease, of which 44.5% present symptoms of depression and anxiety.

These patients show a lower quality of life than the general population.

What are the causes of this increasingly feminine disease?

The origin of this pathology is still not known with certainty. And the most certain thing is that there is no single causeas highlighted by Dr. Esteban.

• “It is believed to be multifactorial and that there may be a genetic predisposition. There are a series of risk genes, but by themselves they do not develop the disease”.

In addition to this genetic predisposition, it can also influence:

• Environmental factors (vitamin D deficiency).

• Tobacco.

• Obesity.

• Virus that triggers an immune abnormality.