Takeaway
Time to multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and treatment initiation have consistently decreased with changes in MS diagnostic criteria: patients diagnosed more recently exhibit a lower risk of reaching disability, and early treatment initiation is the most likely contributor.
Why this matters
Recently collected data have indicated that the percentage of MS patients experiencing poor disability is decreasing over time, but contributors are not well studied. Results from this study support early MS treatment initiation to delay or diminish disability development.