Takeaway
The use of a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) approach identified 16 comorbid conditions significantly associated with increased severity of multiple sclerosis (MS), including genitourinary, infectious, metabolic, epilepsy and movement disorders.
Why this matters
Chronic neurological diseases like MS have a variable disease course and affect people with a wide range of coexisting medical conditions.
Previous research has linked the presence of comorbidities to a range of complications and poor outcomes in people with MS, including delays in diagnosis and treatment, increased hospitalization, decreased quality of life, and higher risk of death.
It is possible that comorbidity burden is an important determinant of disease course and outcomes of MS.