title: Multiple sclerosis course and clinical outcomes in patients with comorbid asthma: a survey study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if comorbid asthma is associated with accumulation of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related impairment and disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  We sent a comprehensive questionnaire to a cohort of patients with MS and examined the association between comorbid asthma and reaching Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores 4.0 and 6.0. Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) scores were compared between patients with MS with and without comorbid asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  680 patients participated in our study of whom 88 (12.9%) had comorbid asthma. There was no difference in the prevalence of asthma between our MS cohort and the England general population (OR: 0.89, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.17). We did not observe a significant association between having asthma and the risk of reaching EDSS scores 4.0 and 6.0 (HR: 1.29, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.77, and HR: 1.33, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.89, respectively) after controlling for confounders. Patients with MS with asthma reported higher level of psychological impairments (coefficient: 2.29, 95% CI 0.1 to 4.49).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma is a prevalent condition among patients with MS and it may contribute to the psychological impairment in MS. Although we did not observe significant association between comorbid asthma and physical disability in MS, it seems that the two conditions influence one another.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Clinical Neurology Research Group, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manouchehrinia
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Clinical Neurology Research Group, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, CMM; Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden Department of Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Homayoun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roshanisefat
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Clinical Neurology Research Group, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tench
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Clinical Neurology Research Group, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Cris S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Constantinescu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY