Covid-19 may be a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). This is shown by new research at örebro University and örebro University Hospital, Sweden.
We saw an increased risk of MS among people who had severe Covid-19. However, only an extremely small number of people who had severe Covid-19 received a subsequent diagnosis of MS.”
Scott Montgomery, professor of clinical epidemiology, Örebro University
Scott Montgomery reviewed the records of all Covid-19 patients admitted to a hospital in Sweden between 2020 and 2022.
The results showed that nearly 26 per 100,000 patients with severe Covid-19 subsequently developed MS. This was more than twice the risk of those without a Covid-19 diagnosis.
“I want to make it clear that multiple sclerosis is an uncommon disease and very few people in this study had a diagnosis of MS linked to Covid-19. About 26 people with new-onset MS per 100,000 with severe Covid-19 is only 0.02%. “
Scott Montgomery suspects that the number diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after severe Covid-19 will increase in the years following the pandemic.
“It can take up to 10 to 20 years for a diagnosis of MS after exposure to the brain or spinal cord. The extent to which severe Covid-19 is a cause of MS will become clearer in several years,” Scott says. Montgomery.
He hopes the research will lead to early diagnosis of MS among those affected so they can be treated before more advanced disease develops.
“Since the majority of people infected will not develop diseases such as multiple sclerosis, they should not be concerned. However, people with symptoms should seek medical advice. The earlier MS patients are treated, the better quality of life they will have because treatments delay the progression of the disease,” says Scott Montgomery.
He also stresses the importance of making sure everyone is up to date with their vaccinations to prevent infections.
“There is a relationship with the severity of Covid-19. More severe Covid-19 is associated with a greater risk of MS, possibly revealing latent sclerosis.”
Similar research is underway for other diseases that could be caused by Covid-19. The survey results keep coming.
“If we can follow the group of patients who are hospitalized for severe Covid-19 and identify diseases that are more likely to develop afterwards, we may be able to monitor for those diseases and hopefully help patients early.” .
The research is published in Brain Communications.
Source:
Journal Reference:
Montgomery, S., et al. (2024) SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk of subsequent demyelinating diseases: a national registry-based cohort study. Brain communications. doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae406.
