Exploration of changes in disability after menopause in a longitudinal multiple sclerosis cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) is typically in early adulthood. The impact, if any, of menopause on the MS course is unknown. Our objective was to determine whether menopause is associated with changes in MS severity in a longitudinal clinical cohort.

Methods

Responses from an ongoing reproductive questionnaire deployed in all active female CLIMB observational study participants with a diagnosis of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or MS were analyzed when the response rate was 60%. Reproductive data were linked with clinical severity measures that were prospectively collected every six months, including our primary measure, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Results

Over one-half of the respondents (368 of 724 women) were postmenopausal. Media

SUBMITTER: Bove R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4824677 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature