Stress and course of disease in multiple sclerosis

In this prospective study, 96 healthy controls and 101 multiple sclerosis p atients were followed up for as many as 6 years, and self-reported stressfu l events and health status were assessed The authors evaluated (a) whether patients reported more stressful life events than healthy controls and (b) the bidirectional relationship between stress and functional deterioration among patients. Healthy controls reported more life events than patients, O dds ratio (OR) = 1.13, p < .0001; and this relationship was attributable to healthy controls' reporting more neutral/positive events than patients. A bidirectional relationship was confirmed between stress and illness: there il as an increased risk of disease progression when rate of reported stress ful events was higher OR = 1.13, p < .0003, and an increased risk of report ed stressful events when rate of disease progression was higher OR = 2.13, p < .0001. There were no differences in reported stress by level of baselin e disability. The authors concluded that multiple sclerosis patients demons trate a vicious cycle between stress and disease progression.