There is such a rare disease that is more common in young and middle-aged people between 20 and 40 years old, more women than men, so it is called “” Killer of Flowers”. This is multiple sclerosis (MS), a severe, lifelong, progressive, disabling neuroimmune disease. At present, the total number of MS patients in my country has exceeded 100,000.
It is reported that the symptomatic treatment drug Fampridine Sustained-Release Tablets for improving walking disorders in multiple sclerosis patients has entered the National Medical Insurance Directory in 2021. At the same time, more DMT drugs have entered China through medical insurance and innovative payment methods. , improving the availability of drugs, providing domestic patients with more low-cost drug options suitable for their own conditions, and also bringing new hope for relieving the recurrence rate of multiple sclerosis and improving walking dysfunction.
Early diagnosis and early treatment can delay disease progression and reduce the risk of disability
The early symptoms of multiple sclerosis are easily overlooked, For example, numbness in hands and feet, blurred vision, if not controlled early or not well controlled, it will cause repeated episodes of blindness, paralysis and even life-threatening. The so-called “multiple” means that the disease has the characteristics of “time multiple” and “spatial multiple”. “Time multiple” refers to the process of obvious recurrence and remission of the disease, and “spatial multiple” refers to multiple lesions. Therefore, MS The clinical manifestations vary, and there may be different problems such as vision loss, limb sensation, and movement disorders. Due to its complex symptoms and easy misdiagnosis, many young and middle-aged patients have lost the best time for treatment and the best time of their lives.
The symptoms of multiple sclerosis are highly concealed, and when there are several main symptoms, they will be mistaken for other diseases and not paid enough attention, resulting in the delay of the disease. For example, common limb numbness is often regarded as cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis; when limb weakness occurs, it is often regarded as poor sleep. Today’s young people often stay up late and do not think of this rare disease; when visual impairment occurs, Many people put eye drops when they can’t see clearly, without going to the hospital for examination.
Professor Qiu Wei, Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, reminded, “Basically, it is only when there is a problem with walking or difficulty in urination and defecation that I go to the hospital. At this time, the condition is already serious. When patients have the above symptoms, they should go to the neurology department or subspecialty for professional diagnosis and treatment early, in order to achieve early diagnosis and early treatment, delay the progression of the disease, and reduce the risk of disability.”
Standardized treatment to ensure better self-care ability for patients
In order to prevent the recurrence of multiple sclerosis, standardized cause-based treatment, namely disease-modifying drug therapy ( DMT) is the key. With the improvement of patients’ awareness of disease and treatment, the use rate of DMT drugs in my country has increased in recent years, reaching 18%, but there is still a big gap between Europe and the United States. This leads to the occurrence of disability, and the quality of life of the patients decreases sharply as a result.
Professor Feng Huiyu from the Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University mentioned, “The choice of DMT drugs needs to be determined according to the degree of the patient’s condition, especially for mild to moderate patients, the benefits of DMT drugs should be comprehensively considered. Risk ratio, that is to say, choose a drug with excellent effect and high safety. At the same time, the individual needs of patients also need to be paid attention to when choosing drugs. For example, some patients of childbearing age have fertility plans, they can consider using fast metabolism, washing Drugs with shorter off-periods.”
Walking dysfunction is the most common functional disability in patients with multiple sclerosis, with 93% of patients experiencing walking impairment within 10 years of the disease, and up to 85% of MS patients With walking disorder as the initial symptom, it seriously affects the life of patients, and improving the walking disorder of patients has become an indispensable part of MS treatment.
Professor Qiu Wei, Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, shared: “Last year, two MS treatment drugs were approved, one of which is a symptomatic treatment drug for MS patients with walking disorders, which has been approved by the national The medical insurance negotiation has been included in the national medical insurance catalog. According to the feedback from patients who took the lead in using symptomatic treatment drugs abroad, most of the patients’ walking disorders can be improved. It is expected that this drug can improve the walking disorders of domestic MS patients and improve their lives. Quality and confidence.”
Professor Tan Guojun, Department of Neurology, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, also said: “In the context of the country’s continuous promotion of medical system reform, Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis can obtain more and more The world’s synchronized drugs have broken the situation that MS patients in China once had no drugs available, and also gave doctors and patients the confidence to fight the disease. It is not terrible to have MS now, and standardized DMT treatment can ensure that patients have better living ability, Self-care ability.”
Author: Tang Weijie
Editor: Yang Liu
Responsibility Editor: Rong Bing
*Wenhui’s exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source when reprinting.