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Early Relapse of MS May Mean Fewer Issues Later

FRIDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that people with multiple sclerosis who have relapses within five years of developing the disease are more likely to suffer from severe limitations in the short term than others with the condition.

The findings, published Nov. 4 in Neurology, show that people with the disease who relapse within five years of developing it are nearly 50 percent more likely to need a cane to walk during that time period.

But on the brighter side, the study found that early relapses seem to be less important to the progression of the disease later in life.

"Our findings may represent an important message to people diagnosed with MS today," study author Helen Tremlett, from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology. "Those who have a history of relapses could potentially be offered reassurance that, as time goes on, these relapses will have a diminishing effect on their everyday lives."

For their study, the researchers looked at the experiences during an average of 20 years of nearly 2,500 people with multiple sclerosis who experienced relapses in British Columbia.

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