TY - JOUR
T1 - Disability and mortality in a cohort of multiple sclerosis patients
T2 - A reappraisal
AU - Bergamaschi, Roberto
AU - Montomoli, Cristina
AU - Candeloro, Elisa
AU - Fratti, Cesare
AU - Citterio, Antonietta
AU - Cosi, Vittorio
PY - 2005/6
Y1 - 2005/6
N2 - The aim of the study was to evaluate how the natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) had changed over a 15-year period. We compared disability and mortality in a cohort of 83 MS patients hospitalised in the Neurological Institute of Pavia, northern Italy, from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 1991, with a similar cohort of 52 patients analysed in the past. After the follow-up, an unfavourable course (death or relevant disability) was observed in 41% of the patients in the new cohort, compared to 63.5% of the patients in the old one. The percentage of deceased patients was reduced from 25 to 6%. The analysis of the pooled data of the two cohorts indicates a recent tendency of firstly hospitalised patients having a shorter disease duration and a lower disability level, which could explain the relevant decrease both in mortality and disability. Finally, our findings confirmed that age at onset, early disability and a short interval between onset and secondary progression increase the risk of an unfavourable course.
AB - The aim of the study was to evaluate how the natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) had changed over a 15-year period. We compared disability and mortality in a cohort of 83 MS patients hospitalised in the Neurological Institute of Pavia, northern Italy, from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 1991, with a similar cohort of 52 patients analysed in the past. After the follow-up, an unfavourable course (death or relevant disability) was observed in 41% of the patients in the new cohort, compared to 63.5% of the patients in the old one. The percentage of deceased patients was reduced from 25 to 6%. The analysis of the pooled data of the two cohorts indicates a recent tendency of firstly hospitalised patients having a shorter disease duration and a lower disability level, which could explain the relevant decrease both in mortality and disability. Finally, our findings confirmed that age at onset, early disability and a short interval between onset and secondary progression increase the risk of an unfavourable course.
KW - Disability
KW - Mortality
KW - Multiple sclerosis
KW - Northern Italy
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U2 - 10.1159/000085308
DO - 10.1159/000085308
M3 - Article
C2 - 15855800
AN - SCOPUS:20844460966
VL - 25
SP - 15
EP - 18
JO - Neuroepidemiology
JF - Neuroepidemiology
SN - 0251-5350
IS - 1
ER -