Comparison Effect of Prescription Drugs on the Occurrence and the Number of Attacks in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Treatment has a major effect on attacks in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to determine the effect of the type of used drug on occurrence and number of attacks in patients with multiple sclerosis. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1815 patients with multiple sclerosis referred to Ayatollah Kashani hospital in Isfahan, Iran, whose information was recorded in iMED software and followed at least for 34 months, were included. The effect of the type of drug on occurrence and number of attacks was determined using Negative Binomial Hurdle model by R software. Findings: The type of drug had a significant effect on the occurrence of attack; so that, compared to interferon beta-1a (muscle), interferon beta-1a (subcutaneous), fingolimod, glatiramer acetate and azathioprine were less effective, especially for relapsing-remitting types. Interferon beta-1b and glatiramer acetate had more and less effective on the occurrence of the attack in women and men, respectively. In women, fingolimod drugs, glatiramer acetate, and azathioprine had less effect on the number of attacks, respectively. The effect of age was significant on the occurrence and number of attacks in men and women, and both the recurrence and progressive clinical course. Conclusion: Younger patients had more occurrences of attacks. Interferon beta-1a (muscle) has a better performance than other drugs in reducing occurrence of attacks. In women, patients taking interferon beta-1b had fewer attacks compared to patients taking interferon beta-1a (muscle). In men, patients taking interferon beta-1a (muscle) had fewer attacks than those taking glatiramer acetate.