Postmenopausal patients with multiple sclerosis report worsening disease severity on the Multiple Sclerosis Rating Scale (MSRS), according to an online cohort study on the PatientsLikeMe (PLM) platform.
Participants filled out a detailed reproductive history survey and linked to PLM’s prospectively collected patient-reported severity score. Of the 513 respondents:
• 55% were post-menopausal
• 54% of post-menopausal respondents reported induced menopause and were more likely to be treated with hormone replacement therapy
• median age at natural menopause was 51
Postmenopausal status, surgical menopause, and earlier age at menopause were associated with worse MSRS scores.
Citation: Bove R, Healy BC, Secor E, et al. Patients report worse MS symptoms after menopause: findings from an online cohort. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2015;4(1):18-24. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2014.11.009.