How Multiple Sclerosis Affects Life Expectancy

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease, but it's almost never a fatal one. Although there is research to suggest that some with the condition may have a slightly shorter lifespan than the general population, most people with MS die from other conditions such as heart disease, cancer, or stroke, the same as otherwise healthy people.

Life expectancy for those with MS has increased over time thanks to treatment breakthroughs and improvements in MS treatments, better healthcare, and self-care strategies that anyone with multiple sclerosis can implement to improve not only their longevity but quality of life.

This article covers the ways that MS can affect life expectancy. It also offers suggestions on what you can do to improve your quality of life and live a long and healthy life with MS.

How MS Progresses

Multiple sclerosis progresses differently in different people. While some people may become disabled shortly after symptom onset, others can live for decades without experiencing disabling symptoms.

In general, there are four typical courses of disease progression:

• Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is the term used to describe someone who has had their first episode of symptoms.
• Relapsing-remissing MS (RRMS) describes someone who has had multiple attacks of new symptoms or symptoms that are getting worse along with periods of remission.
• Secondary progressive MS (SPMS) describes disease that is progressing more steadily. A person with this type of progression may or may not have periods of remission. 
• Primary progressive MS (PPMS) describes a steady, gradual disease progression with no or few remission periods. 
  

Life Expectancy and Multiple Sclerosis

A frequently cited statistic says those with MS have an average lifespan that's six to seven years shorter than that of the general population. This is based on studies comparing the average lifespan of people with MS to that of people who don't have the disease.

For example, a 60-year study found that people with MS have an average life expectancy of 74.7 years, compared to 81.8 years for the general population.

It's important to note that different disease progressions were found to affect life expectancy in different ways. For example, people with relapsing-remitting MS tended to live around 6.4 years longer than those with primary progressive MS.

Factors That May Affect Longevity in MS

Some research suggests that people with MS who take disease-modifying medications have a longer life expectancy than those who don't. More studies need to be done to confirm this possibility.

Aside from whether or not a person is being treated, other factors may play a role in longevity with multiple sclerosis.  Life expectancy in MS may be shorter for those who:

• Are older than 40 when symptoms started
• Had more than two attacks within two years of diagnosis
• Had symptoms affecting bladder control, mobility, or mental functioning at onset of MS
• Had initial symptoms in many different areas of the body
• Had a large number of brain or brainstem lesions on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan when diagnosed or whose scan revealed new or gadolinium-enhancing lesions
• Have frequent relapses
• Scored higher than 1.5 on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) after a second relapse

Causes of Death in MS

It's virtually unheard of for multiple sclerosis to become so disabling that it's the primary reason a person dies. Most people with MS ultimately succumb to the same causes of death as the general population.

However, having multiple sclerosis can increase the risk of certain diseases and conditions that ultimately may cause death. Among the most common comorbidities reported in a 2018 study looking at 5 million people with MS who had the following conditions:

• Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Gastrointestinal disease
• Thyroid disease
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Alcohol abuse

Complications of MS

People with MS may experience complications that can interfere with their quality of life. Some of these include:

• Fatigue
• Difficulty walking 
• Balance problems
• Vision loss
• Loss of bowel and bladder control
  
• Difficulty swallowing
• Chest infection

Complications of MS can range from mild to severe.

Increasing Life Expectancy With MS

If you've recently learned you or a loved one has multiple sclerosis, you may be afraid the diagnosis is a death sentence. You also may feel you've lost all control of your health and quality of life. Virtually everyone with MS, however, does have some control over their health and outcome, for the following reasons:

• Advances in treatment, especially disease-modifying medications, have significantly increased the lifespan of people with MS, especially when started as early as possible.
• Many of the conditions that can develop in relation to MS are preventable by following the same guidelines for health and well-being that everyone would benefit from.

Outlook for MS

It is possible to live a relatively normal life with MS, especially if you adopt a healthy lifestyle and seek early treatment.

Early treatment can increase your lifespan. Recent research has also found that early treatment can reduce your chances of developing a disability. For example, one recent study found that people who were treated with disease-modifying therapy within the first six months of symptoms onset were 45% less likely to become moderately disabled as the disease progressed. 

If you've recently been diagnosed with MS, it is important to follow your healthcare provider's guidance and take your medication as instructed. Also, consider working with a therapist to help manage the psychological impact of the disease.

Summary

Mulitple sclerosis is rarely fatal. Although people may have a slightly shortened lifespan compared to those without the disease, MS itself does not usually cause death.

People who receive treatment early tend to do better than those who do not seek treatment early. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, taking medication as prescribed, and seeing your healthcare provider reguarly are all ways you can improve your quality of life and increase your chances of living longer.