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New analysis offered on the forty first Congress of the European Committee for Therapy and Analysis in A number of Sclerosis (ECTRIMS 2025) reveals that menopause might considerably affect how a number of sclerosis (MS) first presents in ladies, in addition to the kinds of related well being situations they expertise. These novel findings may pave the best way for extra focused, customized therapy methods for girls tailor-made to their life stage.
Whereas feminine intercourse is understood to have an effect on MS development, the influence of menopause on preliminary symptom patterns stays largely underexplored. To research this, Yasemin Şimşek and her staff analyzed information from 864 MS sufferers, drawn from a bigger cohort of 4,191 people, together with 298 premenopausal ladies, 300 postmenopausal ladies, and 265 age-matched males.
The evaluation revealed distinct variations in the place MS signs first appeared. The optic nerve was extra incessantly the location of preliminary signs in premenopausal ladies (21.8%) in comparison with postmenopausal ladies (15%) and males (11.7%).
In distinction, the spinal wire was the primary website affected in 44% of postmenopausal ladies and 48.3% of males, in contrast with 27.5% of premenopausal ladies.
“These differences likely reflect the biological effects of hormonal changes,” defined lead writer Şimşek.
“Hormonal status, immune system modulation and neuroprotective mechanisms likely influence how lesions develop and where symptoms first appear. Younger premenopausal women may have more robust inflammatory responses, leading to certain symptom patterns, whereas older individuals, both men and postmenopausal women, may experience more insidious and progressive symptom onset due to neurodegenerative processes.”
The evaluation additionally demonstrated hanging variations in comorbidity burden. Solely 15.1% of premenopausal ladies had comorbid situations, in contrast with 41% of postmenopausal ladies and 36.6% of males.
Amongst postmenopausal ladies, heart problems (together with hypertension, arrhythmia, and coronary artery illness) was probably the most frequent comorbidity, affecting 24.7%.
Endocrine and metabolic issues corresponding to sort 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism and dyslipidemia had been additionally frequent in postmenopausal ladies, seen in 10.3%. In distinction, psychiatric comorbidities corresponding to melancholy and nervousness had been extra widespread in premenopausal ladies than in postmenopausal ladies.
Total, males had a comorbidity profile resembling that of postmenopausal ladies, significantly with respect to cardiovascular danger.
“The lower prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders in premenopausal women can be partly attributed to the protective effects of estrogen and younger biological age,” Şimşek famous.
“Meanwhile, psychiatric comorbidities may be more frequent in this group due to higher psychosocial stress, earlier disease onset and possible hormonal influences on mood regulation.”
Mortality patterns additional underline these variations. In the course of the examine interval, deaths occurred in 15 males and 9 postmenopausal ladies, whereas no deaths had been reported amongst premenopausal ladies.
“These findings have important implications for clinical care,” Şimşek mentioned. “Men and postmenopausal women may benefit from strategies targeting neurodegeneration and disability prevention, whereas premenopausal women may require closer monitoring of relapse activity and optimization of disease-modifying therapies.”
Extra data:
Şimşek SY. Influence of Menopause on Preliminary Medical Presentation and Comorbidities in Ladies with A number of Sclerosis: A Comparative Research with Age-Matched Males. Offered at ECTRIMS 2025, Barcelona, Spain.
Offered by
European Committee for Therapy and Analysis in A number of Sclerosis
Quotation:
Menopause linked to distinct variations in a number of sclerosis presentation and comorbidities (2025, September 24)
retrieved 24 September 2025
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