Dysphagia within 3 years of onset tied to poorer outcomes in multiple system atrophy

Early onset of dysphagia (within 3 years of disease onset) is a significant predictor of shorter survival in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA), regardless of whether they have the cerebellar (MSA-C) or parkinsonian (MSA-P) subtype, according to a study.

This retrospective study included 297 patients with MSA: 251 met criteria for clinically established MSA and 46 for clinically probable MSA.

Researchers found that 90 patients developed symptomatic dysphagia within 3 years of disease onset. The median survival was 4.2 years for those with dysphagia versus 7.3 years for those without. Dysphagia severity, measured using the Hyodo score, was higher in patients with MSA-P, but was linked to reduced survival in both patients with MSA-C and MSA-P.

The study concluded that early onset of dysphagia is a strong predictor of shorter survival in both types of MSA.

Reference
Wada T, Shimizu T, Asano Y, et al. Early-onset dysphagia predicts short survival in multiple system atrophy. J Neurol. 2024;doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12623-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39158732.