Dear Readers,

Welcome to an issue prepared “By Women for Women”. Exceptional women, medical doctors from various centers throughout Poland, experienced multiple sclerosis experts, have decided to share with you their knowledge about the course of the disease at different stages of a woman's life, taking into account the wide range of available therapies. Although the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis still causes fear and uncertainty, we are relieved to see that time and new information are working in favor of our patients. It turns out that what used to be unclear and uncertain, such as the impact of pregnancy itself on the course of the disease and the impact of the disease on the course of pregnancy, has become better understood over the years, and is causing less and less concern. Today, our patients can make informed decisions, fully based on current, well-established knowledge, about such an important aspect of their life as motherhood.

At the other end of the spectrum are women who have been living with the disease for a long time or those who developed it at a later age. They face a difficult, albeit natural, period in a woman's life – menopause, which brings with it uncertainty about possible changes in the course of the disease. In this regard, we also now know more than we used to, although some areas, such as the impact of hormone replacement therapy, still require additional studies. Relevant data is bound to be obtained in the coming years, which will certainly contribute to improving medical care and the quality of life of our patients.

We hope that this issue of “MS Report” is received with interest not only by women, but also by their partners.

We wish you a pleasant read.
prof. dr hab. n. med. Dagmara Mirowska-Guzel

dr n. med. Agnieszka Piechal