Cardiovascular comorbidities are one of the most leading causes of disability in the general population, and hypertension is one comorbid condition that is prevalent and impactful among patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Furthermore, sedentary behavior has been associated with putative outcomes of disability status in patients with MS.
The aim of the study is the association between cardiovascular risk (measured with Framingham risk score (FRS)), sedentary behaviors (measured with Godin Leisure-Time Excercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ)) and disease activity in MS patients.
Patients with Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS) consecutively admitted to the MS center of Catania from October 2019 to February 2020 were enrolled. According to the reason of access to the MS center, patients were divided in: active patients (patients with clinical relapses and/or radiological activity) and non-active patients (scheduled visit). The assessment included collection of demographical and clinical outcomes. To analyse any association between disease activity and FRS and GLTEQ a binary logistic regression model was built.
432 patients were enrolled. Out of them, 334 (77.8%) were active and 98 (22.2%) were non active. Active patients were younger, with higher number of relapses in the year before enrolment and higher level of disability (p<.05 for all). About FRS, no differences were found between the two groups in low (54.3% vs 54.1), intermediate (34% vs 34.2%) and high risk (11% vs 11.7%) rates. About GLTEQ, no differences were found between the two groups in rates of full active (16% vs 19.5%), sufficiently active (53.2% vs 57.7%) and inactive (30.9% vs 22.8%) patients.
At logistic regression model, there was a correlation between a high GLTEQ value and disease activity (ExpB 2.462, IC 1.000-6.094, p = .049). No correlations were found with other clinical variables or with FRS.
Our study revealed that sedentary behaviors should be associated with higher level of disease activity. Cardiovascular comorbidities deserve attention in all MS cohort. Further studies are needed.