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The following is a summary of “Multi-registry analysis of patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica to improve capture of demographic data and compare visual outcomes,” published in the February 2024 issue of Neurology by Moss et al.
Due to limitations in data capture, the American Academy of Neurology Axon Registry® for multiple sclerosis (MS) neuro-myelitis optica (NMO) could benefit from integration with the ophthalmology-focused IRIS® Registry to provide a more comprehensive picture of visual outcomes.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study by combining the Axon Registry and IRIS Registry data to reduce irretrievable information in demographics and characterize visual outcomes in MS and NMO patients.
They included patients from both registries (January 1, 2014, to December 10, 2021), recurring the ICD-9/10 codes for MS or NMO in the Axon registry. Age, sex, race, and ethnicity were evaluated in each registry and categorized as conflicting, missing, or not missing in the combined dataset. Visual acuity data were provided by the IRIS Registry.
The results showed 60,316 patients with MS and 1,068 patients with NMO in the Axon Registry; 14,085 and 252 had temporal overlap in the IRIS Registry. Combining data reduced missing or conflicting data for race and ethnicity by 15–19% (absolute reduction, all P≤ 0.0005), but not age (P= 1.0) or gender (P=0.08). In the IRIS Registry, 10,907 MS patients and 142 NMO patients had visual acuity data. After adjusting for age and gender, the average visual acuity between eyes was worse in NMO patients (0.17 logMAR, 95% CI 0.12,0.21, P<0.0005).
Investigators concluded that combining data from registries improved race/ethnicity data and allowed analysis of vision outcomes in the IRIS Registry for Axon Registry’s core diseases, highlighting the value of multi-registry studies.
Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00078-6/abstract
