Depression, Constipation & UTI: Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis

People with conditions like depression, constipation, and urinary tract infections have a higher likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis(MS) five years before their MS diagnosis.

Additionally, individuals with sexual problems, bladder infections or cystitis, autoimmune diseases, lupus, and Crohn’s disease are more prone to develop MS.

Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis can be a severely disabling autoimmune disease that affects the myelin or insulating layer of the nerve fibers and typically has remissions and relapses

‘People with MS were 22% more likely to have depression, 50% more likely to have constipation, and 38% more likely to have urinary tract infections five years before their diagnosis. #multiplesclerosis #depression #constipation #uti #earlysigns #brainhealth’

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The findings of this research were published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology ().

Early Warning Signs of Multiple Sclerosis

In some diseases, the underlying processes can start years before a diagnosis is made. “Knowing that these conditions may be prodromal symptoms or even early-stage symptoms of MS would not necessarily lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease in the general population, since these conditions are common and could also be signs of other diseases,” said study author Celine Louapre, MD, PhD, of Sorbonne University in Paris, France.

The study involved 20,174 people newly diagnosed with MS. They were each matched with three people who did not have MS of the same age and sex, for a total of 54,790 people.

Then the people with MS were also compared to 30,477 people with Crohn’s disease and 7,337 people with lupus. MS, Crohn’s disease, and lupus are all autoimmune diseases. They all affect women more often than men and affect young adults.

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Then researchers used the medical records database to see whether the participants had any of 113 diseases and symptoms in the five years before and after their diagnosis, or before that matching date for the people who did not have an autoimmune disease.

They were 47% more likely to have sexual problems, and 21% more likely to have cystitis or bladder infections.

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For depression, 14% of the people with MS had prescriptions for antidepressants five years before diagnosis, compared to 10% of the people who did not have MS. By five years after diagnosis, 37% of people with MS had antidepressant prescriptions, compared to 19% of those without MS.

“Of course, not everyone who has these symptoms will go on to develop MS,” Louapre said. “We’re hoping that eventually, these early signs will help us understand the biological mechanisms that occur in the body before the actual symptoms of the disease develop.”

Eat Fish to reduce Risk of Multiple Sclerosis
High fish intake at least once a week or 1 to 3 times per month and daily intake of fish oil supplements can reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Salmon, sardines, albacore, tuna and lake trout are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

A limitation of the study was that data was not available for other factors that could influence people’s risk of developing MS, such as education level, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Reference:

Association Between Diseases and Symptoms Diagnosed in Primary Care and the Subsequent Specific Risk of Multiple Sclerosis - (https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2023/12/05/WNL.0000000000207981)

Source-Eurekalert