Preliminary study findings indicate a possible link between global temperature rise and increased risk for hospitalization during the course of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Preliminary study findings indicate a possible link between rising global temperatures and increased risk for hospitalization during the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a summary presented at the 73rd Annual Academy Meeting Neurology of America (AAN) this year in April.
This increased risk comes from symptoms that may worsen, the authors noted. They compared visits for each patient at irregular warm times with normal weather. The main outcome of this retrospective cohort study was annual warm risk associated with outdoor / indoor weather and hospitalization in the United States, and they described irregular warm weather as “any month in the average local temperature was higher than the long term. average temperature for that month at least 1.5 ° C, or close to 2 ° F. ”
“We know that heat sensitivity is common in multiple sclerosis, and climate scientists expect periods of irregular warm weather to increase with climate change,” said lead study author Holly Elser , PhD, from Stanford University School of Medicine and a member of the AAN group, said in a statement. “Our study suggests that warming trends may have long-term adverse health effects for people living with MS.”
Of the additional 75 million patients identified from the national patient and Medicare Advantage claims database, 106,225 (0.14%) had MS (59.0% aged 36–55 years; 76.6% women). Among these patients, the risk for visiting emergency departments rose the most, at 4%, compared with 3% for inpatient visits and 1% for outpatient visits.
The follow-up period had different results. There was an increase in 1960 outpatients and 592 visits to emergency departments in irregular warm weather. Patient visits remained central, at an additional 1260 visits.
Overall, while results were the same for men and women, older people had the strongest relationships – with results among this group varying by region and season.
“As global temperatures rise, people with MS can represent an unprecedented subspecies at times associated with irregular warm weather,” the authors concluded, “with impact on both healthcare providers and systems. ”
They emphasized that while these increases appear small, “the overall impact associated with people with MS and the health care system is significant,” said Elser.
Each person included in the final analysis had at least 3 inpatient / outpatient treatment applications or disease modification in a 365-day period.
The retrospective design of the study and the inability to directly measure symptoms were noted at the limitations of these results. Further research is needed.
Information
Elser H, Parks R, Moghaven N, et al. Irregular warm weather and emergency care visits in patients with multiple sclerosis: a retrospective study of privately insured people in the US. Presented at: 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology; April 17-22, 2021. Accessed 5 March 2021. https://bit.ly/3eeOC18