MSNEWS health was measured . Activity levels , diet , and other factors were assessed . Then , they were given access to levidex for 6 months . Usage levels ( number of logins ) and module completion were both tracked .
Of the 43 participants , 38 completed the 6-month study and final assessment questions . The range of the number of logins was high , with some users logging in up to 180 times in the 6-month period . Overall , 71.1 % of participants completed the long-term maintenance section of levidex . This showed their ability to access most of the tool ’ s content .
The Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire ( GLTEQ ) health contribution score was used to compare baseline health status to the post-study health status of each participant . Twelve participants improved their level of physical activity , while 24 participants showed little change , and 2 reported a decreased level of physical activity .
Although the tool was used regularly , some participants noted its lack of exercises for limited mobility persons . It ’ s clear that levidex — and other digital treatment tools — have a long way to go before they ’ re as effective as possible , but early indications about the impact of these tools are very positive .
REFERENCES Kutzinski , M ., Krause , N ., Riemann-Lorenz , K ., Meyer , B ., & Heesen , C . ( 2023 ). Acceptability of a digital health application to empower persons with multiple sclerosis with moderate to severe disability : single-arm prospective pilot study . BMC Neurology , 23 ( 1 ), 382 . https :// doi-org . ccmain . ohionet . org / 10.1186 / s12883-023-03434-w .
Can Disease-Modifying Drugs Used To Treat Multiple Sclerosis Lead To Greater Infection Risk ?
In the last 25 years , many disease-modifying drugs ( DMDs ) have been approved and used to treat individuals with MS . However , there is a concern that DMDs suppress the immune system and lead to higher rates of infections in patients . Many short-term studies have been conducted , but long-term studies are scarce .
A recent Canadian study assessed the use of DMDs and the rates of infections within individuals with MS between 1996 and 2017 . Researchers tracked physician-reported diagnoses at outpatient visits , hospitalizations , and prescriptions filled . They also considered patient factors such as age , sex , and comorbidities ( when other diseases or conditions are present at the same time ).
In the study , 19,360 patient histories were analyzed ( 72 % were women ), and 4,372 ( 24.4 %) participants filled at least one DMD prescription during the study window .
Interestingly , while any DMD use was linked with a 12 % lower rate of infection-related physician visits and a 36 % lower rate of infection-related hospitalizations , there was a 14 % higher rate of infection-related prescription fills . Many of the Rx fills were driven by the use of prophylactic agents with alemtuzumab .
Study findings revealed that the mode of administration influenced outcomes , with injectable or oral DMDs associated with lower rates of physician visits and hospitalizations compared to intravenous DMDs . However , injectable and intravenous DMDs showed a higher rate ( 15 %– 34 %) of infection-related prescription fills compared to oral DMDs .
Finally , researchers found that a patient ’ s sex , but not their age , affected infection rates . DMD-treated women had a higher rate of infection-related prescription fills , a discrepancy that was not present in male individuals with MS .
The study was unable to assess more recently approved DMDs and could not verify the accuracy of each diagnosis with an infectious disease specialist . Despite some limitations , this is one of the most comprehensive DMD and infection assessments available .
REFERENCES Graf J , Ng HS , Zhu F , Zhao Y , Wijnands JM , Evans C , Fisk JD , Marrie RA , Tremlett H . Disease-modifying drugs , multiple sclerosis and infection-related healthcare use in British Columbia , Canada : a population-based study . THE LANCET Regional Health Americas . 2024 Jan 6 ; 29:100667 . doi : 10.1016 / j . lana . 2023.100667 . PMID : 38269206 ; PMCID : PMC10806332 .
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