Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 2: A groundbreaking Canadian study has revealed that multiple sclerosis (MS) may begin far earlier than traditionally believed, with subtle warning signs potentially emerging more than a decade before the first recognized neurological symptoms.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study reshapes the current understanding of MS progression and highlights the need for earlier detection. Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that patients who would later be diagnosed with MS began seeking medical help for a range of vague, general symptoms — such as fatigue, headaches, pain, and mental health issues — up to 15 years before classical signs of the disease appeared.

“MS can be difficult to recognise as many of the earliest signs… can be quite general and easily mistaken for other conditions,” said Dr. Helen Tremlett, senior author and Professor of Neurology. “Our findings dramatically shift the timeline for when these early warning signs are thought to begin.”

The team analyzed health records of over 12,000 individuals in British Columbia, using clinical and administrative health data to track doctor visits spanning 25 years prior to the onset of MS symptoms. Patterns in healthcare usage revealed that people later diagnosed with MS consistently visited physicians more frequently for issues like anxiety, depression, dizziness, and visual disturbances — often long before receiving an MS diagnosis.

Key findings include:

• 15 years before diagnosis: Increased visits for fatigue, pain, and mental health issues.
• 12 years before: Notable rise in psychiatric consultations.
• 8–9 years before: Uptick in visits to neurologists and ophthalmologists for symptoms like blurry vision and eye pain.
• 3–5 years before: Higher visits to emergency and radiology departments.
• 1 year before: Sharp spike in visits across several specialties.

Researchers believe these findings point to an MS prodrome — a pre-symptomatic phase where the disease is already affecting the body but remains unrecognized.

Although most people experiencing these general symptoms will not develop MS, the study offers a vital step toward identifying early indicators and shortening the delay between symptom onset and diagnosis. Such early detection could improve long-term outcomes, reduce uncertainty, and potentially enable early intervention strategies.

The study marks one of the most detailed looks into pre-diagnosis healthcare behavior in MS patients to date, offering a new direction for both researchers and clinicians in managing this complex autoimmune disorder.