Age and DMT’s

[Lmh]

Have any of you read simialar articles ? It’s making my next DMT selection a bit conflicting. The whole risks versus benefit issue, and now throw age in the equation.

http://www.msbrainhealth.org/treatme...-linked-to-age

[Fit Paul]

That leaves exercise, diet, rest and a positive outlook.

[AMFADVENTURES]

Lmh, first off, I didn't see anywhere in the study where they accounted for increasing disability due strictly to ageing and it seems to be a huge stretch to blame all of the increase of disability on efficacy of the DMT alone. Secondly, if you look at the actual study, they admit to having made an awful lot of assumptions many of which could be questioned. Thirdly, the linear regression model they use does not seem to fit their data very well. And fourthly, to say that "on average DMT's cease to be effective beyond the age of 53 years" is a grossly misleading generalization.

The efficacy of a given DMT may well vary with age however, the effectiveness of certain drugs still stands out on the scattergram. Ocrelizumab, Rituximab, Siponimab, and Glatiramer Acetate are all above the mean linear regression line at advancing age.

Bottom line, I wouldn't give up based on this particular study.

[Suebee]

I 100% agree with Larry. I couldn't follow all the math but the description of the assumptions seemed just like an attempt to quantify, but not really solid numbers....

I also note that the main designer of the study and writer for the paper discloses she owns part of the patent to daclizumab. Per the pretty chart, it looks to me like daclizumab is most effective in early 30s rather than mid 50s like copaxone. Makes me wonder maybe that she wanted to show a study that spins a drug's effectiveness in the young to be a positive rather than a negative? I.D.K.
I wonder how much funding money it took to do this meta analysis? Would it be better to put money into meta analysis of PT outcomes? How about meta analysis of MSers who are denied disability? Or meta analysis of costs of living with MS or effect on income? These seem to be the types of studies that could be used to make the quality of life of MSers better. Just sayin'...