The study of comboridity in patients with multiple sclerosis using validated sels-report questionnaires

Introduction. The long-term prognosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is influenced by various factors, including comorbidity. The purpose of study is to investigate comorbidity in multiple sclerosis using the developed and validated specialized questionnaires.

Materials and methods. The subjects comprised two groups from the population of St. Petersburg: 885 patients with MS and 396 the control group, 154 patients provided outpatient card medical records. A specially designed self-report questionnaire included demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle data, and standard questions on comorbidities. To validate the questionnaire, extracts from individual outpatient cards were analyzed. Validation of questionnaires was performed by mean of kappa statistics. To assess the odds of the presence of comorbidity in each group, Fisher’s exact test was used.

Results. Satisfactory and high agreement of information (kappa> 0.41) revealed for arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, uveitis, psoriasis, thyroid disease, bronchial asthma, migraine, and cancer. In MS patients, the prevalence of uveitis, autoimmune thyroiditis, anxiety and depression was higher, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obesity prevalence was lower than in control group.

Discussion. The developed questionnaire has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for a number of comorbidities. The risk of comorbidities in MS patients In St. Petersburg is comparable to that in other regions of the world. Anxiety and depression are of higher risk in the subgroup of younger patients with MS, and autoimmune thyroid disorders are of higher risk in middle-aged and elderly MS patients compared with the general population.

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