April 26, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Employment, income drop steadily over 2 decades after onset of MS For people who develop multiple sclerosis (MS), the disease can exact a toll on their ability to work and on how much they earn in the private sector, according to a study by researchers in France, who said policies need to be enacted to replace lost income. āThe effects…
December 9, 2022 News by Joana Vindeirinho, PhD Worse Work Status in MS Tied to Subjective Cognitive Impairment Patient-reported cognition difficulties ā called subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) ā are associated with current work status and with employment deterioration after two years in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. Depression and anxiety also were linked with work status among these MS patients, but such…
June 17, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias She Disclosed Her Illness and Got the Job It’s a decision most of us with a chronic illness have to make sooner or later: When do we disclose our illness, and to whom, and how do we do it? Thirty-one-year-old Katie Coleman faced that decision not long ago. Coleman has stage 4 kidney cancer, and, in April, she…
August 30, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS Patients in US Can Lack Key Insurance Coverage, Survey Warns Most people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. have health insurance, but many lack important other types of insurance, such as life insurance, short-term disability insurance, and long-term care insurance, according to an online survey of patients. Its findings suggest that MS patients who are likely to be…
April 30, 2021 Columns by John Connor You’ve Got to Hide Your MS Away In honor of MS Awareness Week, observed in the U.K. April 19ā25, the MS Society released results of a survey about the barriers that keep multiple sclerosis patients from sharing their health status. Multiple Sclerosis News Today‘s Mary Chapman reportedĀ that a whacking one-third have stayed silent about their diagnosis.
November 18, 2020 News by Aisha I Abdullah PhD Disease Progression Differs More Across MS Type Than Sex of Patients, Study Finds Marked differences in disease characteristics are observed between male and female patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but they are more pronounced when comparing patients across clinical subtypes, a new study finds. The analysis found that although women are more prone to…
August 18, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Good Work Habits and Adjustments May Help Patients Keep Jobs The degree to which people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are conscientiousĀ ā a personality trait that reflects responsibility, organization, and goal-oriented skills ā in their work habits can help to predict their employment status in three years, according to a survey of 70 MS patients. A study based on…
April 28, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace What Will Our ‘New Normal’ Be When the Crisis Is Over? What will the future look like after this coronavirus craziness is over?Ā One thing is certain: The world can’t go back to being “normal.” This time in isolation has raised many issues and broken down so many barriers. Only now do…
November 5, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Employed MS Patients Have Lower Productivity, Reduced Health-related Quality of Life, Study Shows Employed individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have lower work productivity, reduced health-related quality of life, and use more healthcare resources than individuals who do not have multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The study, āBurden of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis on workers in the US: a cross-sectional…
November 16, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Unemployment and Under-employment Linked to Poorer Cognitive Abilities in UK Study Multiple sclerosis patients of working age who areĀ unemployed or on a reduced work schedule are likely to show considerable cognitive impairment on tests, especially those measuring mental processing speeds, than patients who are more gainfully employed, a review study reports. This link held true even in patients with little…
October 8, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month Everything can be more challenging when you have a disability, and being part of the workforce can add even more challenges. The month of October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and according toĀ the U.S. Department of Laborās website, this year’s theme is āAmericaās Workforce: Empowering All.ā…
September 11, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Truly ‘Benign MS’ Evident in Only Small Minority of Patients, Large UK Study Reports Multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā that appears to be "genuinely benign" 15 years after diagnosis is evident in a small number of patients, a large population-based study from the U.K. reports. But, its researchers note, the term ābenignā is often not clinically accurate as used, because it is based largely on perceptions of disease impact. The study āHow common is truly benign MS in a UK population?ā was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. The concept of benign MS is controversial, especially among clinicians. Still, long-term epidemiological studies have consistently identified a small fraction of patients whose MS progresses very slowly over a long span of years. Determining the prevalence of this type of MS in the population has been difficult, as estimates can vary significantly depending of the definition of ābenignā that is adopted. Researchers sought to determine an accurate estimate of benign MS in the U.K. population, using a rigorous and comprehensive clinical definition of a truly benign disease. This definition included minimal physical disability (EDSS scoreĀ of less than 3), and no significant fatigue, mood disturbance, cognitive impairment or interrupted employment in the absence of treatment with disease-modifying therapies over 15 years or more years after symptom onset. They screened an U.K. population-based registry containing data on 3,062 MS patients to identify those with "unlimited walking ability" 15 or more years after diagnosis. A representative sample of 60 patients Ā from this pool was analyzed (45 women and 15 men, mean age of 57); they had a mean disease duration of 28 years. Nine out of these 60 (15%; 8 women and one men) fulfilled the studyās criteria for truly benign disease. These nine people had a mean age of 27 at symptom onset, a median EDSS disability score of 1.5 (minimal signs of disability), and a mean disease duration of 31 years. "Those nine individuals with truly benign MS all remained in a relapsingāremitting state," the study noted. "However, only two out of nine showed disease arrest within the first decade; the remainder all continued to experience relapses well into their second or third decade of MS," but the rates of such relapses were low. MS in the remaining patients was not classified as benign, mostly due to evidence of cognitive difficulties (57%), and the disease's impact on employment status (52%) with many taking early retirement. Based on these results, a population frequency for "benign MS" under the definitions used was estimated at 2.9%. But the researchers noted that a large proportion of patients (65%; 39 patients out of 60) reported their disease as benign, according to a lay definition. Their self-reported status poorly agreed with the clinical assessments done throughout the study. "There is no accepted definition to offer patients when exploring whether they feel their MS is benign; the definition we chose incorporates the fundamental principles of low impact on a person, absence of complications and a favourable outcome and is in line with definitions provided by third-party support groups," the researchers wrote. Many Ā considering themselves with benign disease did so based on their "perception" of their disease, the team added, and one that "appeared to be driven as much by mood, fatigue and bladder function as by physical ability."Ā āIn conclusion, after detailed clinical assessment, a small minority of people with MS appear genuinely unaffected by symptoms after 15 years,ā the researchers added. They also called attention to the fact that EDSS-based definitions of benign MS and the inconsistency between patient and clinician perception of benign MS compromise the use of the term ābenignā in clinical practice. They also emphasize that studying individuals with benign MS āhas the potential to uncover clues to mechanisms underlying favorable outcomes in MS, provide insights into new therapeutic targets and have implications for patient counselling, individual patient management and the construct of clinical trials.ā
June 21, 2018 News by Kara Elam Webinar Focuses on Importance of Maintaining Independence for Progressive MS Patients When a progressively debilitating disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) causes a patient to feel physically āwiped outā after a simple daily activity, such as a shower, it is of utmost importance for these individuals and the people in their support system to understand how they can maintain independence for…
June 8, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Workplace Dress Codes Can Limit Opportunities for People with Disabilities, Researchers Say Researchers at the University of MissouriĀ found that a lack of appropriate clothing designed for people with disabilities, caused by accidents or chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), can be a barrier to participation and a sense of inclusion in the workplace. Because workplace attire can be specific and…
May 9, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Canadian MS Patients, Economy Would Benefit from Improved Support Programs, Report Contends Improving financial support programs for those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) would increase workforce participation and boost economic activity, concluded a report published by the Conference Board of Canada in March, which wasĀ Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Today, about 100,000 Canadians live with MS, making Canada one of…
November 1, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #MSParis2017 ā MS Places Heavy Burdens on Women, Study in 8 European Countries Shows Multiple sclerosis (MS) can have severe implications on the lives of European women with the disease, finds a new report, affecting their education, their careers and their relationships. This disproportionate burden of MS in women versus men was the focus of a study, āThe Socioeconomic Impact of…
September 14, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Cognitive Problems in MS Patients Linked to Lower Income, Study Reports In a recent talk, titled āIncome and cognitive impairment among multiple sclerosis patients,ā scientists investigated how cognitive impairmentĀ impacts the life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and reported significant differences in incomeĀ that correlated with levels of MS-cognitive deficit. These findingsĀ were recently presented at the 32nd Congress of theĀ European Committee for…
December 29, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Fatigue, Cognitive Impairments Are Main Reasons Patients Lose Their Jobs Difficulties with cognitive function and fatigue are the main reasonsĀ patients withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā struggle to stay gainfully employed, a new study published in theĀ December edition of theĀ International Journal of MS CareĀ has found. The study is titled āFactors Associated with Employment Status in Individuals with…
December 28, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Multiple Sclerosis Takes a Physical and Psychological Toll on Caregivers, Too People caring for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can have substantial physical and psychological health concerns, and their care can adversely impact their employment, according to researchĀ findings recently published in the International Journal of MS Care. The study is titled āCare Partners and Multiple Sclerosis,…