Multiple sclerosis in Morocco: Epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic profile

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aims to describe the clinical, therapeutic, and epidemiological profiles of MS patients in Morocco. MethodsThis descriptive study involved 170 patients representing four Morocco regions. We collected the data using an electronic survey. ResultsThe results show female dominance in patients with MS. Besides, most patients present with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). The main clinical symptoms reported by patients are fatigue, cognitive issues, spasticity, bowel or bladder complaints, and visual issues. Furthermore, the findings show that almost half of the patients use Interferon bêta-1a and azathioprine as disease-modifying therapies; 60.5 % use traditional and complementary medicine, of which 30.6 % use cupping, 30 % recite the Holy Quran, and 28.2 % use apitherapy. The findings show that there is a statistically significant relationship between specific MS factors such as professional activity (p = 0.0071), degree of satisfaction with treatment (p = 0.005), stress (p = 0.014), and the frequency of relapses. ConclusionsIn addition to DMT, patients also use traditional and complementary medicine. There is also a relationship between some epidemiological characteristics and the frequency of relapses in patients with MS.