A Closer Look at Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

WE OFTEN HEAR THE TERM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) WITHOUT QUITE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE DISEASE ENTAILS. HERE TO EXPLAIN, DR. AHMED SHATILA, CONSULTANT NEUROLOGIST REVEALS MORE.

Possible complications of the MS patient

According to Dr. Shatila, there are various complications that people with MS may face and suffer from. “First and foremost, there are the health complications of being diagnosed with MS, which can include the uncertainty and disability that can result from the disease,” he says, especially if they are not on treatment, and multiple studies have shown that medications not only affect relapse rates, but also improve quality of life, reduce disability, and improve mortality in people with MS. Another complication, he adds, of having MS is the physical disability that can develop over the course of the illness, necessitating the use of a walker, cane, or even a wheelchair, which in and of itself poses significant challenges in terms of work.

Cases in the UAE

We do not know exactly how many MS cases exist in the UAE, tells Dr. Shatila. “MS is thought to affect between 1500 and 2000 people in the UAE,” he says, and as mentioned, one of the advantages of establishing a national register is that we would be able to obtain accurate data on the number of persons with MS not only in terms of numbers, but also in terms of age, distribution, nationality, gender, disease severity, and type of MS they may have. “A national register would provide answers to all of these issues,” he says.

MS rates after COVID 19

There is no evidence or statistics to imply that the number of cases of MS has increased as a result of COVID 19, whether in the UAE or elsewhere in the world, he explains. “However, many physicians in the UAE believe that the number of people diagnosed with MS is increasing,” he says, and this could be attributable to the fact that there is greater awareness, that individuals are more aware of the illness and, as a result, are more likely to be diagnosed. He adds, “Diagnosis of the illness can be made earlier and due to the fact that the health care infrastructure in the UAE is very strong and that patients who develop any consistent symptoms, such as weakness, visual problems, or any balance problems, can see a neurologist very quickly.” And this is thought to be one of the reasons why physicians are seeing more cases, but the exact answer is not known. But it does not appear that COVID 19 increases the risk of MS.

The digital infrastructure developed by the

UAE increases the engagement between doctors and patients

The digital infrastructure developed by the UAE increases the engagement between doctors and patients, reveals Dr. Shatila. He adds, “We are lucky in the UAE to have a robust infrastructure consisting of high speed internet, which was extremely important during COVID, and when patients with MS were unable to come to the hospital because they may be immunosuppressed due to their medications.” Coming to the hospital, especially during COVID, may increase their risk and burden if they contract the illness. “We were able to use teleconsultations of video calls during COVID, which reduced the number of physical visits between physicians and patients in the hospital. Nonetheless, their care was not jeopardized.” They were able to get the medications they needed. Medications were delivered and their health was improved. At the same time, physicians were able to follow patients and determine if there was any progression, any new symptoms that had appeared, and if it weren’t for the UAE and its very robust infrastructure, this could have posed serious setbacks and limitations in the care that was delivered and is being delivered to our patients. H