Menopause Found To Shape Initial Symptoms And Comorbidities In Multiple Sclerosis

New investigation presented coming astatine nan 41st Congress of nan European Committee for Treatment and Research successful Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS 2025) reveals that menopause whitethorn importantly power really aggregate sclerosis (MS) first presents successful women, arsenic good arsenic nan types of associated wellness conditions they experience. These caller findings could pave nan measurement for much targeted, personalised curen strategies for women tailored to their life stage.

While female activity is known to impact MS progression, nan effect of menopause connected first denotation patterns remains mostly underexplored. To analyse this, Yasemin Şimşek and her squad analyzed information from 864 MS patients, drawn from a larger cohort of 4,191 individuals, including 298 premenopausal women, 300 postmenopausal women, and 265 age-matched men.

The study revealed chopped differences successful wherever MS symptoms first appeared. The optic nervus was much often nan tract of first symptoms successful premenopausal women (21.8%) compared to postmenopausal women (15%) and men (11.7%). In contrast, nan spinal cord was nan first tract affected successful 44% of postmenopausal women and 48.3% of men, compared pinch 27.5% of premenopausal women.

These differences apt bespeak nan biologic effects of hormonal changes. Hormonal status, immune strategy modulation and neuroprotective mechanisms apt power really lesions create and wherever symptoms first appear. Younger premenopausal women whitethorn person much robust inflammatory responses, starring to definite denotation patterns, whereas older individuals, some men and postmenopausal women, whitethorn acquisition much insidious and progressive denotation onset owed to neurodegenerative processes."

Yasemin Şimşek, lead author

The study besides demonstrated striking differences successful comorbidity burden. Only 15.1% of premenopausal women had comorbid conditions, compared pinch 41% of postmenopausal women and 36.6% of men. Among postmenopausal women, cardiovascular illness (including hypertension, arrhythmia, and coronary artery disease) was nan astir predominant comorbidity, affecting 24.7%. Endocrine and metabolic disorders specified arsenic type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism and dyslipidaemia were besides predominant successful postmenopausal women, seen successful 10.3%. In contrast, psychiatric comorbidities specified arsenic slump and worry were much communal successful premenopausal women than successful postmenopausal women.

Overall, men had a comorbidity floor plan resembling that of postmenopausal women, peculiarly pinch respect to cardiovascular risk.

"The little prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders successful premenopausal women tin beryllium partially attributed to nan protective effects of estrogen and younger biologic age," Şimşek noted. "Meanwhile, psychiatric comorbidities whitethorn beryllium much predominant successful this group owed to higher psychosocial stress, earlier illness onset and imaginable hormonal influences connected temper regulation."

Mortality patterns further underlined these differences. During nan study period, deaths occurred successful 15 men and 9 postmenopausal women, while nary deaths were reported among premenopausal women.

"These findings person important implications for objective care," Şimşek said. "Men and postmenopausal women whitethorn use from strategies targeting neurodegeneration and disablement prevention, whereas premenopausal women whitethorn require person monitoring of relapse activity and optimisation of disease-modifying therapies."