The authors investigated whether menopause influences the risk of disability progression in women with relapse-onset multiple sclerosis (MS). In this longitudinal cohort study, primary analysis included 583 premenopausal and 404 postmenopausal women with MS. The median age at menopause was 48.5 years. Following multivariable adjustment, menopause was not associated with an increased risk of confirmed disability progression or secondary progressive MS. The authors concluded that, while reproductive aging may compound overall aging effects, their findings suggest that menopause is not the key driver for disability progression in older women with MS.
Author(s):
Bridge F, Sanfilippo PG, Zhu C, et al.
References including authors:
Bridge F, Sanfilippo PG, Zhu C, et al. Menopause Impact on Multiple Sclerosis Disability Progression. JAMA Neurol. Published online September 29, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.3538