Identifying risk factors and improving outcomes
Impact case study
The AUSIMMUNE/AUSLONG cohort study started in 2003, enrolled 282 people with MS and 533 age and sex matched controls from 4 geographically distinct regions of Australia; Brisbane, Qld; Newcastle, NSW; Geelong and the western districts of Victoria; and Tasmania. The AUSIMMUNE study produced important insights into factors associated with MS including.
- low sunlight exposure
- lower live birth rates
- exposure to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) and Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV6)
The AUSIMMUNE study followed participants for 2-3 years, then became known as the AUSLONG study. The AUSLONG study has followed participants for more than 20 years. It is the longest cohort study of people with MS in the world, with ~75% of people remaining in the study.
The AUSLONG study identified that a Mediterranean diet and higher quality diets result in improved MS outcomes including depression, anxiety, fatigue and relapse. AUSLONG determined that employment is an important outcome for people with MS. Factors impacting on employment outcomes include comorbidities (e.g. hypertension, diabetes and heart disease), and MS disease activity within the first 5 years of diagnosis. Fatigue is the greatest barrier for returning to work. This has led to the development of MS WorkSmart, a clinical trial aiming for people with MS to remain productive in the workforce, with potentially significant health and economic impacts.
AUSIMMUNE/AUSLONG has published >45 manuscripts and conference presentations, cited >3257 times. The findings have been adopted by MS Australia in their Modifiable Lifestyle Factors and MS Clinical Guidelines, by health policy makers (Ministry of Health Portugal, Sweden and RAND Europe) and in the American and European Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Consensus Guidelines. Twelve students have completed their PhD and remain active in research, two national collaborations developed and more than $3.2mil in additional funding secured. This demonstrates significant translation and impact of AUSIMMUNE/AUSLONG studies.