Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis - What Does the Future Hold?
When you have been diagnosed as having MS the next question you are likely to want answered is what the overall prognosis of multiple sclerosis.
Because of the nature of this disease and the fact that it does not progress in exactly the same way from one person to another the prognosis is not easy to predict.
While most people with MS will continue to be able to function and walk for many years if not the rest of their lives and live to a ripe old age, others may succumb quickly and become disabled or die.
Factors Affecting the Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis There are so many different factors that can affect the prognosis of multiple sclerosis including the sex of the person, which form of MS the person has and at what age the first symptoms occurred.
Other factors can include whether the initial symptoms were more of decreased level of physical sensations and vision or manifested themselves as some form of physical weakness or loss of coordination.
Recent studies show that of all people diagnosed with MS, less than 5% of them are diagnosed with the severe progressive variety that leads to death within five years or less.
At the other end of the spectrum only some 10 to 20% are diagnosed with the benign form and will experience little or no progression in their symptoms.
So what is the Overall Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis? The overall prognosis of multiple sclerosis is considered to be relatively good with most people that are diagnosed with MS found to be still alive some 25 years or more after their initial diagnosis.
The actual figures show that this number is 7 out of 10 compared to 9 out of 10 people of the same age group who do not have the disease.
Statistically MS shortens the life of men by 11 years and women by 6 years, however suicide among younger patients is considered to be the leading cause of death.
Thanks to major advances in knowledge, medications and dietary adjustments more patients are finding that their life expectancy and levels of disability are much better.
Recent research shows that thanks to these advances far more patients are living much longer lives with a much slower progression of the symptoms.
It has been found that the earlier the disease is diagnosed and the more aggressive the responding treatments are the better the prognosis of multiple sclerosis is for a longer life with fewer relapses and lowered incidences of disability at a younger age.
However one should realize that there are very few clinical investigations that are able to predict actual prognosis or how well an individual patient may or may not respond to therapeutic treatments, it must be dealt with on a one patient at time basis.
Because of the nature of this disease and the fact that it does not progress in exactly the same way from one person to another the prognosis is not easy to predict.
While most people with MS will continue to be able to function and walk for many years if not the rest of their lives and live to a ripe old age, others may succumb quickly and become disabled or die.
Factors Affecting the Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis There are so many different factors that can affect the prognosis of multiple sclerosis including the sex of the person, which form of MS the person has and at what age the first symptoms occurred.
Other factors can include whether the initial symptoms were more of decreased level of physical sensations and vision or manifested themselves as some form of physical weakness or loss of coordination.
Recent studies show that of all people diagnosed with MS, less than 5% of them are diagnosed with the severe progressive variety that leads to death within five years or less.
At the other end of the spectrum only some 10 to 20% are diagnosed with the benign form and will experience little or no progression in their symptoms.
So what is the Overall Prognosis of Multiple Sclerosis? The overall prognosis of multiple sclerosis is considered to be relatively good with most people that are diagnosed with MS found to be still alive some 25 years or more after their initial diagnosis.
The actual figures show that this number is 7 out of 10 compared to 9 out of 10 people of the same age group who do not have the disease.
Statistically MS shortens the life of men by 11 years and women by 6 years, however suicide among younger patients is considered to be the leading cause of death.
Thanks to major advances in knowledge, medications and dietary adjustments more patients are finding that their life expectancy and levels of disability are much better.
Recent research shows that thanks to these advances far more patients are living much longer lives with a much slower progression of the symptoms.
It has been found that the earlier the disease is diagnosed and the more aggressive the responding treatments are the better the prognosis of multiple sclerosis is for a longer life with fewer relapses and lowered incidences of disability at a younger age.
However one should realize that there are very few clinical investigations that are able to predict actual prognosis or how well an individual patient may or may not respond to therapeutic treatments, it must be dealt with on a one patient at time basis.