title: Causes of death among patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies show a high mortality risk among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, mortality and underlying causes of death were analysed among patients with MS diagnosed between 1964-1993 in Finland (n = 1595).
  
  
  METHODS
  Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for both genders. The follow-up was based on linkage to the national computerized Cause-of-Death Register of Statistics Finland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether, 464 deaths were recorded by the end of 2006. The SMR as compared with the general population among females was 3.4 (95% confidence interval 3.0-3.9) and among males 2.2 (1.9-2.6). In total, 270 patients (58%) died from MS; only one of these deaths occurred during the first 2 years after the MS diagnosis. Mortality was also increased for other natural causes of death (n = 160) in patients followed for more than 10 years (SMR 1.4, 1.2-1.7), with a significant increase in deaths from influenza (29, 6.0-85), pneumonia (4.7, 2.5-8.0) and gastrointestinal causes (4.4, 2.3-7.7). The SMR for violent causes was 1.2 (0.7-1.9) and for alcohol-related deaths 0.2 (0.02-0.7). The SMR for suicides was 1.7 (0.9-2.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MS population has an increased disease mortality, while the increase in the risk of accidents and suicides is not significantly increased among patients with MS in Finland.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Tampere, Finland. marja-liisa.sumelahti@uta.fi
authors.forename: Marja-Liisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sumelahti
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hakama
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elovaara
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pukkala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000401:mortality*