Up to 10 persons per one lakh population in the country are estimated to have multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease. Two out of the three affected are women.
Issues related to multiple sclerosis were discussed in detail at the three-day global scientific meet on autoimmune neurology titled Indian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ICRTIMS) - 2018 that concluded here on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, MS expert and senior neurologist Dr. Bhim Singal, director of neurology, Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences, inaugurated the meet. Speaking on the occasion, he said MS could not be dismissed as a disease confined to temperate zones, as the number of patients was going up in the country. It is a physically debilitating disease having an adverse impact on patients and families, and in a broader sense, the country’s human resources and productivity, he observed.
The conference took stock of the prevalence of MS and other autoimmune neurological disorders and emphasised the need to create awareness, early diagnosis, and modern treatment methodologies for better management of the condition.
The reasons commonly attributed to the condition are hereditary genes, viral infections, Vitamin-D deficiency, smoking, and lifestyle changes.
“The symptoms may begin as isolated attacks, and progress gradually before finally settling as a permanent disability. Treatment at the initial stage can slow down the progress of MS and ensure a self-reliant life for the patient,” said Dr. R. Suresh Kumar, expert in MS and professor at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences.
A session with delegates of MS Society of India (MSSI) and a separate parallel session with MS patients were held on the concluding day.
Experts in autoimmune disease led the technical workshops. Dr. Angela Vincent, Oxford University Hospitals Trust; Dr. Jalesh Panicker, UCL Institute of Neurology, UK; Dr. Jeremy Hobart, Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK; Dr. Patrick Vermersch, University of Lille, France; Dr. Sean J. Pittock, Mayo Clinic, US, and Dr. Suresh Menon, McMaster University, Canada, spoke at various sessions.
Representatives of the European Charcot Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation conducting research on MS in Europe, were also present at the meet.
Dr. Satish.V. Khadilkar, president-elect, Indian Academy of Neurology; Dr. M.D. Nair and Dr. Mathew Abraham, organising chairmen; Dr. Sudheeran Kannoth, joint organising secretary; Dr. Anand Kumar, president, KAN; Dr. C.J. Suresh Chandran, secretary, Kerala Association of Neurologists; Dr. A.K. Meena, convener, and Renuka Malaker, national secretary, MSSI, spoke at the valedictory function.
