Key clinical point: Progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) is a major contributor of confirmed disability accrual (CDA) in early relapsing-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), with age being a major determinant of the way CDA occurs.
Major finding: PIRA accounted for 27.6% of disability worsening events, whereas relapse-associated worsening ( RAW) accounted for 17.8% of events, with RAW being more frequent in younger ( hazard ratio [HR] 0.87 ) and PIRA in older ( HR 1.19; both P < .001 ) patients.
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective cohort analysis of 5169 patients with clinically isolated syndrome or early relapsing-remitting MS who were assessed within 1 year of onset and followed-up for ≥5 years.
Disclosures: No source of funding was declared. Some authors declared serving on advisory boards or receiving grants, travel compensation, speaker honoraria, or lecture and consulting fees from various sources .
Source: Portaccio E et al. Progression is independent of relapse activity in early multiple sclerosis: a real-life cohort study. Brain. 2022 (Mar 24). Doi: 10.1093/brain/awac111