Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early disease-modifying therapy (DMT) improves outcomes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (pwRRMS), but reasons for delayed or absent initiation are unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate reasons and trends for delayed or absent DMT initiation among Finnish pwRRMS.
METHODS: A nationwide retrospective study using the Finnish MS Registry identified 2363 pwRRMS diagnosed between 2010 and 2019 in the participating centers. Patients never receiving DMT or starting >2 years post-diagnosis were compared to those initiating DMT within a year of diagnosis.
RESULTS: We identified 193 pwRRMS who never started DMT, 88 had delayed initiation over 2 years, and 1944 started within a year. The no/delayed DMT group was older at diagnosis (mean 38.7 vs 35.2 years, p < 0.001). Corticosteroid-treated relapses were more frequent among early initiators. Optic neuritis was more common in patients with delayed or no DMT. Treatment refusal was the primary reason for delayed/no DMT (35.6%), with 68% of refusers never starting. From 2010to 2019, delayed/no DMT initiation (p = 0.007) and treatment refusal (p = 0.004) decreased significantly.
CONCLUSION: Delayed or absent DMT initiation is linked to older age, optic neuritis, disease inactivity, and treatment refusal, which declined over time, likely due to expanded DMT options.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 20552173251360358 |
| Journal | Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
| Publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 1
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Delays in treatment initiation for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A nationwide population-based study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Cite this
- APA
- Author
- BIBTEX
- Harvard
- Standard
- RIS
- Vancouver