Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system. It is the most common neurological disease which starts in young adulthood and leads to permanent disability and premature loss of working capacity in almost two-thirds of cases after a course of 10-15 years.
In Hungary, the number of people with MS is estimated to be around ten thousands, with around five hundred new cases diagnosed each year. MS most often occurs between the ages of 20 and 40 and is more than two to three times more common in women than in men.
The guideline published in the Proceedings of Journal of Neurology summarises the characteristics of multiple sclerosis, recommendations for its treatment and the professional and organisational conditions for its management. The aim is to ensure that the care of patients with MS treated in Hungary is uniform and meets international standards and criteria. The current guideline makes recommendations on the tests required for diagnosis and the treatment of patients based on the results and evidence of the latest clinical research.
- The last recommendation was made ten years ago. Since then, both therapy and diagnostics have improved significantly. Today, the use of state-of-the-art testing methods allows us to make a definitive diagnosis as early as possible, so that we can start treatment sooner and make it more effective in the long term. In our technical paper we provide recommendations on physical, mandatory and complementary diagnostic tests, among others," said Tünde Csépány, senior author of the recommendation, associate professor at the Department of Neurology, Faculty of General Medicine, University of Debrecen, former president of the Hungarian Neuroimmunological Society, and current member of the board.
In addition to the recommendation on diagnostics, the technical paper summarises information and experience on the drugs currently used in the treatment of MS and provides recommendations on the criteria for physicians to select the drugs. It specifically addresses, for example, the treatment of pregnant women or people with severe viral infections.
- Twenty preparations are now available, not only in the form of injections and intravenous doses, but also in less frequent tablet form - taken every six months, every month or just a few days a year. In the last two years, effective medicines have also been developed for a group of patients who were previously untreatable. Our recommendation is intended to help you find your way between the different products. Our aim is to influence professionals' decisions so that they can choose the most effective treatment for their patients. The guidelines are only recommendations, which doctors can always apply according to the state, needs and preferences of the patient," adds Tünde Csépány.
The proposal also stresses that the complexity of the treatment justifies the need for patients to be treated in a specialised centre.
The recommendation also makes lifestyle recommendations, including physiotherapy, exercise, diet and highlights the negative effects of stress and smoking. It also highlights the importance of psychological support, which has been shown to improve the quality of life of people with MS. The experts also discuss the rehabilitation of patients, which should be tailored to the individual, so that the patient with physical, psychological and mental impairments can acquire the skills to reduce disability and optimise remaining functions, so that the symptoms of the disease limit work, private life and social relationships as little as possible.
The professional recommendation was published in the Proceedings of the Journal of Neurology, but will soon be available in digital format on the website of the Hungarian Neuroimmunological Society.
The lead author of the recommendation, Tünde Csépány, founded the neuroimmunological care in 1992, in addition to the traditional stroke profile of the Neurology Clinic, and is the head of the SM Centre. She was Vice President (2006-2009) and then President (2009-2012) of the Medical Advisory Board of the National Association of MS Patients, President of the Hungarian Neuroimmunological Society (2013-2016), Council Member of ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis) (2005-2011 and 2014-2019) and member of the Scientific Platform on MS of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) since 2017. From 2017 to 2020, she was a delegated scientific advisor to the European Medicines Agency's European board negotiating the inclusion of several new SM drugs.
Press Centre - CzA
