Understanding late-onset MS in the UK
If someone’s diagnosed with MS, it’s usually in their 30s or 40s. Late-onset MS (LOMS) is when MS is diagnosed in people aged 50 or older. With improvements in diagnostic tests and people living longer, late-onset MS diagnoses are becoming increasingly common.
Previous research has highlighted that people with LOMS tend to experience disability progression sooner than people who are diagnosed as younger adults. But people with LOMS are also less likely to receive the most effective treatments available for MS. Because most clinical trials have tested treatments in people under 55, we don’t know much about disease modifying treatments for people with LOMS. We need more research to understand the causes of disability progression, and the best treatment options for people in this group.
About the project
Sara will use data from the UK MS Register to understand the factors contributing to disability in people with LOMS. She will focus on:
- How disability gets worse over time in different age groups.
- The effect of other health problems that co-exist with a person’s MS (known as comorbidities) on disability in LOMS.
- How well different disease modifying treatments work in preventing disability in different age groups.
Sara will also use data from another group of people with MS to see whether there is a link between MRI characteristics and disability in people with LOMS.
How will it help people with MS?
This study will improve our understanding of LOMS, potentially leading to effective strategies for preventing disability progression. It could also help healthcare providers to choose the most appropriate treatments for people with LOMS. The MRI analysis could reveal markers that are linked to worsening disability, and targets for future therapies.
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