MS-related Mobility Impairment Contributes to Reduction in Employment Status and Income Level

Greatest Changes in Income Level Due to Mobility Loss Occur Early On, as People with MS Transition from Normal Mobility to Minimal Mobility Impairment

HAWTHORNE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 29, 2009-- People with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience reduced income and earning potential as their mobility impairment increases, according to data collected from more than 8,100 participants of the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) database, the largest self-reported MS patient registry in the world. The data were presented yesterday at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA.

“Approximately half of people with MS will have mobility impairment within 15 years of their disease onset, and MS often affects people early in life during their most economically productive years. These data indicate that even minor mobility impairments contribute to the loss of productivity and income,” said Timothy L. Vollmer, M.D., Director of the NARCOMS Project and Professor, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. “People with MS typically develop increasing mobility impairment as their disease progresses, which can significantly impact their socioeconomic status, affecting their ability to stay in the workforce and to provide for their families. Unfortunately, many people with MS are then at risk to lose access to company-sponsored healthcare.”

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