MS and life expectancy
Some people have asked us for information on life expectancy in MS, but it is not the kind of subject everyone wants to read about. If you are not sure, you could skip this page for now - you can always come back to it.
Life expectancy and statistics. Do you want to know? Putting it in perspective.
The only way to talk in general terms about any aspect of MS, including life expectancy, is to gather together the information from thousands of people with the illness and calculate an 'average'. An average figure is a useful guide. However, do not assume that your MS will behave just like the average; the experience of people with MS is very varied.Consider this before you go further. There is an average life expectancy for healthy people without MS: have you ever considered what it is? You could get closer to your particular life expectancy by looking up the specific risk for your gender, your income group, where you live and your level of education. All these factors influence life expectancy.
Take this example: a recent study reported in the British Medical Journal (2004, 328 (7455) p1519-28) has shown that the life expectancy of smokers is reduced on average by 10 years compared to non-smokers. But my grandfather smoked all his life and he is 97. You see, one individual’s experience may be very different from the average. When you see the words on average below, bear this in mind.
MS is complex and it is impossible to predict how you may be affected over time. As a result, it is as difficult to determine the life expectancy of someone with MS as it is for someone who does not have MS.
What does research suggest?
Research suggests that:- the overall life expectancy of people with MS is only slightly lower than that of the general population.
- since the 1960s, increase in life expectancy for people with MS has grown more rapidly than in the general population.
- improved health care for people with severe MS has been effective in reducing premature deaths.
Does MS affect life expectancy?
The answer is yes.
It is perfectly possible to have MS, live a normal life span and die of unrelated causes. MS itself does not cause death. However:
- As the disability from MS increases, so rises the risk of chest or bladder infections. On average, two-thirds of people with MS die of such infections. It is certainly worth seeking medical attention if you have choking problems with food or drink, or if you have recurrent infections.
- Research suggests that on average life expectancy of people with MS is lower than that of the general population, by around 10 years.
- On average people die slightly less than forty years after their first symptoms.
- Please remember my grandfather, going strong at 97, who smoked all his life and whose life expectancy on average is 10 years less than non-smokers!
Some research shows survival has been improving in recent years, perhaps due to better health care. We do not know if disease modifying drugs, like beta interferon, influence life expectancy.
Alasdair Coles
