ArticlePloS one2019
Economic burden of multiple sclerosis on Kuwait health care system.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- An updated review of the economic burden of multiple sclerosis: direct and indirect costs.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Pooled it
- Direct Medical Costs Associated with Multiple Sclerosis in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Single-Center Cost of Illness Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Burden of non-communicable diseases in Health Council of Gulf Cooperation (GCC) countries.Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences · 2024Article
- Economic Burden of Multiple Sclerosis Drugs in Iran during 2011-2019.Iranian journal of public health · 2023Article
- Estimation the medical cost of multiple sclerosis in Iran; 2019-2020.BMC health services research · 2022Article
- Economic burden of multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study in Iran.Health economics review · 2022Article
- The use of alemtuzumab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: the Gulf perspective.Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease with heavy economic and social burdens resulting in significant disability.
objectiveThis study aims to (1) measure the cost of health resources utilization by MS patients and (2) to examine the difference in utilization and its attributed costs amongst patients who may have a different course of MS and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) scores.
methodsA cross-sectional study using Kuwait National MS registry was conducted to estimate the costs of utilization of resources from 2011 to 2015.
resultsBetween the period 2011-2015, 1344 MS patients were included in the registry. The average annual cost per MS patient has increased from $10,271 in 2011 to $17,296 in 2015. Utilization of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) was the main driver of costs reaching 89.9% in 2015. Throughout the five-year period, the occurrence of relapses decreased from 21.8% to 12.2% (p <0.0001). During this same period, ambulatory relapse treatment increased by 5.8% while hospitalizations decreased by 2.6%. Patients with a moderate EDSS score (3.5-6) had the highest average cost (p<0.0001) compared to mild and severe EDSS scores.
conclusionsMultiple sclerosis has been a significant economic burden on the Kuwait healthcare system. DMTs are the main driver of cost.
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Registered trials
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