Doctors Discover 5 Symptoms That Can Predict Multiple Sclerosis Up to 15 Years Sooner
It’s estimated that multiple sclerosis (MS) affects nearly 3 million people globally, according to the National MS Society. The neurological disease causes muscle weakness, vision impairment, numbness, loss of balance, and memory issues, explains Cleveland Clinic. Now, researchers have pinpointed five symptoms as early warning signs that can appear up to 15 years sooner than typical MS onset.
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Mental health disorders and neurological symptoms are linked to early MS.
Fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, have been identified as “early indicators” of multiple sclerosis in a breakthrough study published in JAMA Network Open.
According to patient health records, symptoms became “significantly elevated” up to 15 years before “the classical onset of MS,” suggesting the chronic disease “may begin much earlier than previously recognized,” per their findings. The authors emphasized the need for earlier intervention to help accelerate diagnosis rates and the course of treatment/management.
“MS can be difficult to recognize as many of the earliest signs—like fatigue, headache, pain and mental health concerns—can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions,” study author Helen Tremlett, PhD, professor of neurology at UBC’s faculty of medicine and investigator at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, said in a news release. “Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin, potentially opening the door to opportunities for earlier detection and intervention.”
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MS patients sought medical help up to 15 years before diagnosis.
University of British Columbia researchers analyzed 25 years’ worth of medical histories and types of physician visits to arrive at their findings. According to the college, it’s the first study to dig this far back into patients’ clinical histories, with five to 10 years being the norm in previous studies.
The meta-analysis featured 12,220 combined patients, 2,038 of whom had multiple sclerosis. Compared to everyone else, the MS patients had more psychiatrist and general physician visits, as well as greater instances of fatigue, dizziness, and eye pain.
“We found that elevated rates of mental health–related issues and visits to psychiatrists, as well as ill-defined symptoms and signs and general practice visits, began as early as 15 years before MS symptom onset, preceding the rise in visits related to nervous system issues or consultations with neurologists by approximately seven to 11 years,” wrote the authors.
Results showed the following patterns in “the years preceding the classic onset of MS.”
- 15 years prior: More frequent general doctor visits and increases in fatigue, dizziness, headaches, anxiety, and depression
- 12 years prior: An increase in psychiatrist appointments
- Up to nine years prior: An increase in neurologist and ophthalmologist visits
- Three to five years prior: Emergency medicine and radiology visits skyrocket
- One year prior: Patients seek specialty physicians related to neurology, emergency medicine, and radiology
“These patterns suggest that MS has a long and complex prodromal phase—where something is happening beneath the surface but hasn’t yet declared itself as MS,” said first author Marta Ruiz-Algueró, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at UBC. “We’re only now starting to understand what these early warning signs are, with mental health-related issues appearing to be among the earliest indicators.”
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The takeaway:
A new study found fatigue, dizziness, and headaches, as well as feelings of anxiety and depression, could be early warning signs of multiple sclerosis. These symptoms were present up to 15 years in MS patients before telltale signs of the disease became noticeable.
Despite this correlation, researchers note that these symptoms can be linked to other underlying issues, too. Many people may experience bouts of fatigue, dizziness, and anxiety, and never develop the disease. However, they say, “recognizing and characterizing the MS prodrome could one day help accelerate diagnosis and improve outcomes for patients.”
“By identifying these earlier red flags, we may eventually be able to intervene sooner—whether that’s through monitoring, support or preventive strategies,” noted Tremlett. “It opens new avenues for research into early biomarkers, lifestyle factors and other potential triggers that may be at play during this previously overlooked phase of the disease.”