Investigating non-clinical factors affecting disability outcomes in MS

How important are sociodemographic factors in explaining differences in disability between African-American (AA) and Caucasian (CA) patients with MS?

At ECTRIMS 2021, Dr Maria Petracca from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA, said that although a more aggressive disease course has been reported in AA patients compared with CA patients, differences in disability outcomes could be linked, at least in part, to socioeconomic factors. These can limit access to effective care and influence lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.