Summary
Although the interaction between comorbidities and chronic diseases is strong, the effect of comorbidities receives little attention in many chronic diseases. In multiple sclerosis (MS), an increasing amount of evidence suggests that physical and mental comorbidities, and adverse health factors such as smoking and obesity, are common and can affect the disease. Marrie RA, Horwitz RI., Lancet Neurol. 2010 Aug;9(8):820-8.
Details
Although the interaction between comorbidities and chronic
diseases is strong, the effect of comorbidities receives little
attention in many chronic diseases. In multiple sclerosis (MS),
an increasing amount of evidence suggests that physical and
mental comorbidities, and adverse health factors such as smoking
and obesity, are common and can affect the disease. These
comorbid diseases and lifestyle factors affect clinical
phenotype, the diagnostic delay between symptom onset and
diagnosis, disability progression, and health-related quality of
life. Future studies of comorbidity and MS should consider
comorbidities and health behaviours and should take into account
the modifying effects of socioeconomic status, ethnic origin, and
cultural factors. Studies of the frequency of comorbidities in
patients with MS should be population based, incorporating
appropriate comparator groups. These studies should expand the
range of comorbidities assessed, and examine how the frequency of
comorbidities is changing over time. Further research is needed
to answer many other questions about comorbidities and their
associations with MS, including the best way to measure and
analyse comorbidities to understand these associations.