A recent study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia determined that low socioeconomic status was associated with higher risk of mortality in individuals living with multiple sclerosis in British Columbia. The study was published in Multiple Sclerosis.
UBC Authors: Floriane Calocer, Huah Shin Ng, Feng Zhu, Yinshan Zhao, and Dr. Helen Tremlett
Summary: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This damage disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to transmit signals, resulting in a range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental, and sometimes psychiatric problems. MS has both environmental and genetic risk factors. Socioeconomic disparities have been associated with disability acquisition in persons with MS and possibly with MS incidence. However, the relationship between socioeconomic status and risk of mortality is unknown. A recent study led by Dr. Helen Tremlett’s lab investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status at the onset of disease and the risk of mortality in individuals living with MS in British Columbia using administrative health data. The researchers found that lower neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status was associated with higher risk of mortality. These findings illustrate the importance of socioeconomic status for people living with MS and demonstrate its potential to alter important outcomes, such as mortality risk. Furthermore, the findings suggest that efforts to improve economic stability, education, employment, social protection and the neighbourhood/built environment for the most disadvantaged could improve survival.
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