(193) Inflammatory Bowel Disease among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and matched Controls: Findings from a Retrospective Cohort Study Utilizing a US Electronic Health Record Database
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. MS has been shown to be associated with different autoimmune disorders, but relatively few studies have quantified the incidence rate of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among these patients.
Objectives: This study aimed to measure the incidence rates (IRs) of IBD and among patients with MS and matched controls.
Methods: The study population was identified from the Optum Humedica Database, a US electronic health record (EHR) database, using ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes. Patients with MS and controls matched 1:5 on age, race/ethnicity, gender, year of inclusion, and presence of comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, hearth failure, liver disease, renal disease, chronic lung disease and cancer) were included in the study. The study population was followed from the index date until the date of IBD diagnoses, disenrollment, or end of the study period (March 31, 2021), whichever came first. IRs of IBD events occurring from January 1, 2017 through March 31, 2021 were calculated.
Results:
Results: In this study, 24,802 patients with MS and 124,010 matched controls were identified. Six hundred and sixty-seven events of IBD (IR= 13.99 per 1000 person-years [95% CI 12.93–15.05]) were observed in patients with MS and 1520 events of IBD (IR= 8.90 per 1000 person-years [95% CI 8.45–9.34]) were observed in matched controls. Patients with MS were more likely to be non-Hispanic white, and had a higher incidence rate of IBD (adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (aIRR)) = 1.53 (95% CI: 1.39 – 1.67); p< 0.0001) compared to matched controls.
Conclusions: This study reported significantly higher incidence rates of IBD among patients with MS compared to matched controls. Further investigations are needed to understand potential risk factors and to evaluate intervention strategies.