Early MS Signs Appear Years Earlier, Affect All Groups The Same

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The early warning signs of multiple sclerosis appear to be the same for everyone, regardless of their background.

The pain, mood changes, brain decline and neurological problems associated with early MS can appear years before diagnosis, but appear to affect all types of people in similar ways, according to a new study.

“Our study shows that the very earliest features of MS are similar regardless of someone’s ethnic or socio-economic background,” said researcher Ben Jacobs, a clinical lecturer in neurology at Queen Mary University of London.

“Efforts to detect MS earlier or identify people at high risk should therefore be inclusive and representative of the whole population,” Jacobs said in a news release.

Early diagnosis and treatment can slow the progression of MS and get people into treatment sooner, researchers said. Unfortunately, many patients suffer years of unexplained symptoms before they get their MS diagnosis.

For the study, researchers analyzed health records for more than 96,000 U.K. residents, including 15,000 people with MS. It’s one of the largest and most diverse investigations into early MS.

Results show that in the five years prior to their diagnosis, MS patients were:

• 8 times more likely to have neurological symptoms like vision changes, numbness or tingling

• 2.5 times more likely to have memory or concentration problems

• 2 times more likely to have chronic pain or bladder/bowel issues

• 1.7 times more likely to have depression or anxiety

“This is the strongest evidence yet that MS gives us clues years before diagnosis,” senior researcher Ruth Dobson, a professor of clinical neurology at Queen Mary University, said in the news release. “If doctors know what to look for, they can potentially spot the disease earlier and act to start treatment before significant damage is done.”

These patterns also hold true for people of all ethnicities, as well as people living in either urban or rural areas, researchers found.

Results did show that the link between neurological symptoms and later MS diagnosis was strongest among men and people from Black and Asian backgrounds, researchers noted. Overall, these groups are typically less likely to be diagnosed with MS.

“Almost everything we know about how MS develops is based on people of white ethnicity,” Catherine Godbold said in the news release. She’s a senior research communications manager at the MS Society in the U.K.

“Research like this is crucial in helping us ensure health care services can benefit everyone living with MS and those at an increased risk of developing the condition, regardless of their background,” added Godbold, who was not involved in the study.

The research team is now working on tools that could help flag high-risk patients for closer monitoring.

The new study appeared Sept. 24 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on early MS symptoms.

SOURCES: Queen Mary University of London, news release, Sept. 24, 2025; Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, Sept. 24, 2025

What This Means For You

Be aware of the early warning signs of multiple sclerosis, such as numbness, vision changes, problems with memory and concentration, chronic pain, bowel or bladder issues and changes in your mental health.