Posted on 03/29/2024 8:00:07 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A new study—the largest of its kind globally—has found children with multiple sclerosis (MS) have better outcomes if treated early and with the same high-efficacy therapies as adults.
There are a limited number of therapies approved for children with MS, with only one considered to be of high efficacy—meaning highly effective.
However, a Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) observational study has determined that pediatric patients should be treated with the same high-efficacy treatments offered to adults as early in their diagnosis as possible to avoid the onset of significant disability.
"We found that patients who were treated with high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies during the initial phases of their disease benefited the most compared to patients who were not treated," Dr. Sifat Sharmin said.
"Based on our findings we recommend that patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis should be treated early in the disease course, when the disability is still minimal, to preserve neurological capacity before it's damaged."
The observational study analyzed global data of more than 5,000 people diagnosed with MS during childhood over the last 30 years—including from MSBase, a large international registry encompassing 41 countries, and a national registry in Italy.
It compared the strength of treatment with the severity of the disease later in life, and concluded patients treated with the most effective treatments early on in their diagnosis were less likely to experience disability worsening. These disease-modifying therapies include highly effective antibodies that change the way in which an individual's immune system behaves.
The research also confirmed that any treatment—including low-efficacy treatments—was better than no treatment
Dr. Sharmin, who led the study, said because pediatric-onset MS was a rare disease—about 4–8% of MS patients are diagnosed before age 18—it wasn't as well investigated.
"This is the largest study of its kind for pediatric MS," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Studies show that the Keto Diet is good for managing MS in adults.
It remains to be seen, however if Keto is recommended for children.
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