Impact of Age at Onset on Relapse and Disability in AQP4-IgG Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder - PubMed
5 days ago
- #Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder
- #Relapse Risk
- #Disability Accrual
- Impact of age at onset on relapse and disability in AQP4-IgG NMOSD was studied.
- Older disease onset linked to faster disability accrual but not relapse risk.
- Study involved 539 patients stratified into pediatric, early, and late onset groups.
- Annualized relapse rates (ARR) and time to first relapse were not affected by age at onset.
- Patients on high-efficacy therapy (HET) had fewer relapses than those on low-efficacy therapy (LET).
- Older age, higher baseline EDSS scores, and delayed treatment predicted faster disability accumulation.
- Early initiation of effective preventive immunotherapy is crucial across all age groups.
- Study limitations include retrospective design and reliance on EDSS for disability assessment.