Editorial: Comorbidity in MS: Some Answers, More Questions
Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:42 am
Comorbidity in Multiple Sclerosis: Some Answers, More Questions (2016)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5166592/
"Over the last few years, investigators have highlighted the high prevalence of comorbidity in the MS population.2 The most common comorbidities are depression, anxiety, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and chronic lung disease.2 These comorbidities are common even at the time of MS diagnosis; 19% of individuals have sought care for depression by this time, while 11.1% have sought care for anxiety,3 indicating that comorbidities are a concern throughout the disease course. ... one of the best ways to address comorbidity in MS may be to prevent it altogether. While this is not possible for all comorbidities, modifiable health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol overuse, physical inactivity, obesity, and poor nutrition are risk factors for several common comorbidities in MS, including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, and chronic lung disease. Balto et al.18 report that over 85% of individuals with MS surveyed did not meet nutrition guidelines, and over 60% did not meet physical activity guidelines. The prevalence of smoking and alcohol overuse was much lower, suggesting that clinicians need to place more emphasis on helping their patients meet diet and activity guidelines.
We have learned a lot about health behaviors and comorbidity in the MS population, but this issue of the IJMSC indicates that there is much more work still to be done."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5166592/
"Over the last few years, investigators have highlighted the high prevalence of comorbidity in the MS population.2 The most common comorbidities are depression, anxiety, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and chronic lung disease.2 These comorbidities are common even at the time of MS diagnosis; 19% of individuals have sought care for depression by this time, while 11.1% have sought care for anxiety,3 indicating that comorbidities are a concern throughout the disease course. ... one of the best ways to address comorbidity in MS may be to prevent it altogether. While this is not possible for all comorbidities, modifiable health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol overuse, physical inactivity, obesity, and poor nutrition are risk factors for several common comorbidities in MS, including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, and chronic lung disease. Balto et al.18 report that over 85% of individuals with MS surveyed did not meet nutrition guidelines, and over 60% did not meet physical activity guidelines. The prevalence of smoking and alcohol overuse was much lower, suggesting that clinicians need to place more emphasis on helping their patients meet diet and activity guidelines.
We have learned a lot about health behaviors and comorbidity in the MS population, but this issue of the IJMSC indicates that there is much more work still to be done."