WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Two key symptoms that can arise soon after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) could predict how swiftly the illness will progress and suggest best treatment options, new research shows. The two symptoms -- blurred vision and sphincter dysfunction of the bladder and/or bowel -- can arise in some, but not all, patients early in the disease.
When they do surface so quickly, patients "may be at higher risk for developing more severe disability over time," said study lead author Dr. João Pedro Gonçalves , from the Federal University of Bahia, in Brazil. "This information could be crucial for healthcare providers in determining initial treatment strategies and monitoring protocols," he explained.
Gonçalves' team published its findings Sept. 24 in the journal Brain Medicine . The new study involved 195 MS patients whose initial symptoms were noted by the researchers.
Their later functional outcome was also tracked using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), a widely recognized tool for measuring disability in MS patients. Patients with blurry vision at the outset of their diagnosis were 20% more likely to have worse longer-term functional outcomes versus those without this initial symptom, the researchers found. Meanwhile, patients with sphincter dysfunction early in their illness were 24.
5% more prone to developing severe disability later on, the Brazilian team said. Two other early onset symptoms -- acute paralysis and.