Multiple sclerosis (MS)

MS is a progressive disease. While MS can present itself differently for each person, its underlying biology is similar for everyone. No matter what form of MS a person is diagnosed with, disease progression is present from the start.1

MS is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system and the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults, affecting people in the prime of their lives. Disease progression was once only associated with secondary progressive and primary progressive MS but is now recognised in relapsing remitting MS, even if a person is not experiencing relapses.

Today more than 2.8 million people around the world have MS2. More women than men have MS – it is two to three times more common in women than in men. Diagnosis of MS is generally between 20 and 40 years of age, although onset may be earlier.

MS symptoms vary widely and include blurred vision, weak limbs, tingling sensations, unsteadiness and fatigue. For some people, MS is characterized by periods of relapse and remission while, for others, it has a progressive pattern. For everyone with MS, it makes life unpredictable.

At present there is no cure for MS, but management of the disease includes drug treatments to treat acute inflammatory attacks (or relapses), medications that reduce the risk of further inflammatory relapses (disease modifying therapies) and treatments to slow disease progression. Then there are also therapies that alleviate and improve various symptoms. Successful management of MS also includes a healthy diet, exercise and rehabilitation.

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