Early treatment for MS may reduce the risk of later disability.

People who start taking medication soon after the first signs of multiple sclerosis (MS),a disease in which the body's immune system attacks myelin, may have a lower risk of disability later, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology. For the study, researchers looked at 580 people with a first episode of symptoms, such as tingling, numbness, muscle weakness or problems with balance, who received at least one disease-modifying drug.

Researchers divided participants into three groups: 194 people who had their first treatment with an MS drug within six months after the first episode of symptoms, 192 people who had first treatment between six months and 16 months, and 194 people who had first treatment after more than 16 months.

Researchers monitored people’s disability levels and brain scans for damage to the brain and spinal cord from the disease for an average of 11 years. Disability scores ranged from zero to 10, with higher scores indicating more disability.

The earliest treatment group had a 45% lower risk of reaching a disability score of three by the end of the study than those in the latest treatment group. A score of three indicates people can still walk unassisted but have a moderate disability in one of eight areas, such as motor function, vision or thinking skills, or mild disability in three or four areas. A total of 42 people in the earliest treatment group, or 23%, reached a score of three, compared to 75 people, or 43%, in the latest treatment group.

A total of 14 people in the earliest treatment group, or 7%, were diagnosed with secondary progressive MS compared to 43 people in the latest treatment group, or 23%.

Reference: Alvaro Cobo-Calvo, et al, Neurology