What is the role falls into a serious handicap for people with MS?

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse within the first five years of the onset of disability appear to be more severe in the short term, compared to those who do not relapse early after a new study published in the 4th in November 2009, issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study is one of the first to explore how MS attacks on people at different times of the disease. Research shows that 85 percent of people with MS begin subsequently develop relapsing-remitting form of the disease and the majority of people with secondary progressive MS. A relapse is defined in the study that the deterioration of neurological symptoms for more than 24 hours, without fever or infection. As relapse often improve symptoms within a few weeks, "we do not know how many people with disabilities has relapses, and how much progress.

For the study, researchers examined medical records of 2477 people with experience with MS, the relapse of British Columbia, Canada. The study examined whether participants disability severe enough to require use of a walking stick and if so recidivism within five years from five to 10 years or over 10 years in the context of appearance of symptoms. Participants observed an average of 20 years. During this period, the control group of 11,722 relapse.

Scientists have discovered that) people who had a relapse within five years of the disease appears to risk 48 percent higher (a measure of relative risk needed a stick for a period of five years of onset of disease than those who did not relapse early on foot. It is important that the impact of early relapse decreases over time. These are the early relapse, which does not require a cane after five years, the risk only 10 per cent more () is a measure of relative risk needs 10 years of developing the disease than those without risk of early relapse.

"Our results could be an important message for people with multiple sclerosis has been represented today. May those who have a history of relapses, insurance will be offered, over time these relapses have a reducing effect on their daily lives, "said Helen Tremlett author of the study, PhD, University of British Columbia in Vancouver. "In addition, our study emphasizes the need for new drugs based on axonal degeneration, which causes permanent disability, including those who had MS for many years or older who is suspected at the time of diagnosis."

The impact of the attacks, which occurred later, either in five or 10 or 10 years after the onset of the disease have also declined over time and was after a long-term follow-up slightly. Relapses in people under 25 had a prolonged effect on disability over 35 years.

"There is a time window longer for the treatment of younger people with MS may be the same, then the course of progression," said Tremlett.