Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune disease that affects 50,000 Egyptians and needs better understanding by the public. It hit the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate effectively with one another, according to specialists. The disease is a neuro-degenerative condition that often begins in early adulthood, said Dr Sherif Hamdy, Professor of Neurology, Cairo University. “Around 70 per cent of newly diagnosed patients are in the prime of their lives – between 20 and 40 years; the optimum reproductive age," he noted. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that MS affects 30 people per 100,000 worldwide, and women are twice as likely to develop the disease as men are. In Egypt, a nation-wide study has revealed that MS cases represent 1.4 per cent of all neurological diseases. Out of 45,750 neurological patients, 648 were diagnosed with MS. In total nearly 50,000 Egyptians suffer from MS stated Hamdy. Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune disease, in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, explained Dr Hany Aref, professor of neurology, Ain Shams University. No one fully understands what causes a person to become afflicted with MS. “The only consensual opinion is that the immune system becomes hyperactive, attacking and destroying the myelin sheath – the fatty substance that coats and protects nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord" Dr Aref revealed. Patients can lead a relatively normal life with constant monitoring and appropriate treatment. Left untreated, MS can devastate the body leading to the loss of the ability to write, speak, or walk, he remarked, during a press conference held on the occasion of World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day. Dr Magd Zakaria, professor of neurology, Ain Shams University, stated that although there is still no cure for MS, effective strategies can modify the course of the disease, treat any exacerbation (attacks, relapses, or flare-ups), manage symptoms and improve function and safety. The most recent treatment milestone is the FDA' s approval in 2010 of a new oral treatment. "It offers significant efficacy with the convenience of a capsule and is a welcome addition to the treatment options for individuals living with this chronic disease," observed Zakaria. Trial results showed that patients treated with the new oral treatment had a 50 per cent reduction in disabling relapses compared with commonly used injections of beta interferon. The chances of progressing to a worse form of the disease were cut by about a third, without significant side effects. The new oral treatment has been used to treat more than 6,300 patients. MS patients face unique challenges, says Aref. More effective treatments are a starting point for a better life for MS patients.
