SEATTLE – , according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. The likelihood of particular comorbidities and concomitant medications varies by age and sex, researchers reported.
“This may have implications for MS treatment,” said study author Jacqueline Nicholas, MD, MPH, of Ohio Multiple Sclerosis Center in Columbus and her research colleagues. “A better understanding of the effects of comorbidities and concomitant medications on the effectiveness and safety of DMDs is needed to support clinical decision making.”
Researchers have examined comorbidities in patients with MS, but concomitant medication use among patients starting DMDs is poorly understood, the authors said.
To study this question, Dr. Nicholas and colleagues analyzed retrospective administrative claims data from IQVIA’s Real-World Data Adjudicated Claims–U.S. database from Jan. 1, 2010, to June 30, 2017. Their analysis included patients with two or more MS diagnosis claims and at least one DMD claim between Jan. 1, 2011, and June 30, 2015. Eligible patients were aged 18-63 years and had continuous eligibility with commercial insurance 1 year before and 2 years after DMD initiation. In addition, patients had no evidence of DMD use during the 1-year baseline period.
The investigators used International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes and claims to evaluate patients’ comorbidities and concomitant medications during the study period.
The researchers identified 8,251 eligible patients. Patients had a mean age of 43.2 years, and 75.5% were female. Average baseline Charlson comorbidity score was 0.41. In the 2 years after DMD initiation, common comorbid diagnoses were hyperlipidemia (30.0%), hypertension (28.2%), gastrointestinal disorders (26.2%), depression (25.5%), and anxiety (20.1%).
Common concomitant medications included antibiotics (70.6%); analgesics (57.0%); corticosteroids (52.0%); antidepressants (47.7%); anticonvulsants (46.7%); anxiolytics, sedatives, or hypnotics (43.2%); spasticity medications (36.2%); and muscle relaxants (35.4%).
Most comorbidities and many medications, including bladder and antifatigue medications, were more common among patients aged 55 years and older. Hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes were more likely in males than in females. Females were more likely to have gastrointestinal disease, depression, thyroid disease, anxiety, lung disease, and arthritis. In addition, females were more likely than males to use many of the concomitant medications.
Dr. Nicholas disclosed grant support from EMD Serono. A coauthor is an employee of Health Services Consulting Corporation and received funding from EMD Serono to conduct the study. Other coauthors are employees of EMD Serono.