New research indicates that intense stress may be related to the occurrence of relapses among MS patients, but chronic, non-acute stress may not lead to an increased risk of relapses.

Researchers conducted telephone interviews with 101 patients with MS from Sydney, Australia, to evaluate the relationship between aspects of life-event stress and MS relapses. The subjects were interviewed at the start of the trial and then every three months for two years. Data were collected on the patients' stressful life situations and clinical relapses.  

Stressors were defined as either acute events, which lasted less than six months, or chronic difficulties, which lasted more than six months.

According the outcomes, acute stressful events predicted relapse occurrence but chronic difficulties did not. A low disability score, high frequency of stressors, and being male significantly predicted greater relapse risk. The authors also found that stressors predicted relapses, and in turn, relapses separately predicted stressors.

"Life-event stress impacts to a small degree on MS relapse. The number and not the severity of acute stressors are most important; chronic stressors do not predict later relapse," the authors wrote. "Males and those with early stage disease are also at greater risk of relapse. MS patients should be encouraged to reduce acute stressors during times of high stress, and feel reassured that disease-related chronic stressors do not increase their relapse risk."

Complete trial data were published online, ahead of print by the journal Multiple Sclerosis.

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