Early risk factors may predict HRQOL for people with newly diagnosed MS, according to a study published in Neurology. Julia O’Mahony, PhD, and colleagues examined physical and mental HRQOL trajectories among people with MS and early risk factors for membership in the trajectory groups with the worst HRQOL. The analysis included 4,888 US individuals enrolled in a large MS registry within 3 years of MS diagnosis and at least three HRQOL observations. The researchers identified five distinct physical HRQOL trajectories and four distinct mental HRQOL trajectories. Increased odds of being in the group with the worst physical HRQOL were seen among patients with older age at diagnosis, worse physical impairments, and worse fatigue. Membership in the group with the lowest mental HRQOL was associated with an income of $50,000 or less and no postsecondary education. “This could provide an opportunity for early interventions that could help people with MS live better lives,” Dr. O’Mahony said in a statement.
