Unmasking the Silent Threat: Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in MS Patients

This study aims to identify cardiovascular risk factors among 91 patients with multiple sclerosis in Bucharest, Romania, using data from medical records and a self-administered questionnaire. The research focuses on smoking status, body mass index, blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and renal function. The average age of the patients was 42.90 ± 10.60 years and 74.73% were female. The average BMI was 23.89 kg/m2 ± 4.74 kg/m2 (lower than in general population), with 41.76% of patients having a BMI outside normal limits. The majority were former smokers (35.87%), followed by non-smokers (28.26%) and the fewest were smokers with more than 20 cigarettes/day (7.61%). The average total cholesterol was 198.48 ± 38.56 mg/dl, triglycerides were 114.22 mg/dL ± 76.2281 mg/ dl, and blood glucose was 97.54 ± 36.58 mg/dl. 25.27% of the patients had fasting blood glucose > 126 mg/dl, but only 5 patients were diagnosed with DM. The average blood pressure was 137,5165 ± 19,5047 mmHg, with only 11 patients diagnosed with HTA. The study found an average cardiovascular risk of 6,6133% ± 7,1412%, with higher values among males, rural patients, those with secondary-progressive MS, and those with a disease progression >10 years (after age adjustment). The study underscores the importance of identifying and combating cardiovascular risk factors in patients with multiple sclerosis.