Reducing the uncertainty in the diagnosis, treatment and research in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) lies at the heart of the QSA mission. Multiple Sclerosis Today provided a glimpse into the world of uncertainty in which MS patients live with their recently published article “Uncertainties of MS Challenging in Scary Ways: UK Patient Survey”:
“The uncertainties that accompany multiple sclerosis (MS) are among the biggest challenges faced by people with the disease, with two-thirds of patients in a recent survey saying ‘they’re scared for the future’ because of such unknowns, the MS Society, which conducted the U.K. survey reports. ‘We may all think the future seems uncertain. But people with MS have told us an MS diagnosis can feel like a life sentence of uncertainty,’ Sarah Rawlings, the society’s executive director of research and external affairs, said in its announcement.”
“More than half of survey respondents said the unpredictability of MS had affected their career (56%) and their friendships (51%). A third (39%) felt its impact on their romantic relationships, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) saying they had previously stopped dating. Two-thirds of respondents (63%) said the uncertainty of MS had caused them to stop socializing in the past.”
“Notably, three-quarters named the uncertainty of MS as one the biggest challenges they faced, and two-thirds reported being scared for their future due to this uncertainty. Half of these patients (51%) felt isolated as a result of their unpredictable symptoms, and about a third (34%) said they worried about access to future treatments.”
QSA's SusTain sub-typing provides a powerful tool to differentiate how different MS patients respond to different treatments. This advanced analysis presently assists treatment research and some day will hopefully assist treatment targeting.