March 20, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Vitamin D seen as most helpful for males in progressive MS rat model Vitamin D supplements were associated with less severe disease in a rat model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), but male rats tended to experience greater benefits than did females, a study into disease-related sex differences reports. This higher overall benefit may be due to nerve cells in males being…
January 23, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD High-dose vitamin D does not slow MS lesion development Taking a high-dose vitamin D supplement as an add-on to standard treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn’t slow the development of new lesions, a sign that the brain or spinal cord have been damaged, according to a meta-analysis study. Vitamin D also had no…
October 25, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Low vitamin D blood levels tied to poorer cognition, greater disability Low blood levels of vitamin D are tied to poorer cognitive skills and more severe disability in people with multiple sclerosis, researchers in Italy report. āOur study showed that [vitamin D] levels are associated with cognitive function in MS, as already well demonstrated in the general population and in…
August 4, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D supplement reduces progressive MS disease in rats Vitamin D reduced the signs of inflammation and nerve damage in a rat model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Low levels of the vitamin have been extensively linked with a higher risk of developing relapsing forms of the disease, but studies of vitamin D supplementation in…
November 9, 2022 News by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: What causes multiple sclerosis? In this installment of our āExpert Voicesā series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Brandon Beaber, MD, to answer some of your questions about research into the causes of multiple sclerosis (MS). Beaber is a board-certified neurologist and MS specialist. He makes videos about MS on YouTube and…
September 14, 2022 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Functional medicine for people with multiple sclerosis In this installment of our āExpert Voicesā series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Dr. Susan Payrovi, MD, to answer some of your questions about seeking functional medicine care with multiple sclerosis (MS). Payrovi is a clinical assistant professor at Stanford’s Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. She practices…
August 1, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Vitamin D, Brain Health, Digoxin, Natalizumab No Link Between MS Severity, Vitamin D-related Mutations: Study Several studies over the years have indicated that there could be a link between a person’s vitamin D level and the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study is slightly different. Researchers looked at whether genetic variations related to vitamin…
July 29, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS No Link Between MS Severity, Vitamin D-related Mutations: Study A number of genetic variations related to vitamin D metabolism were not significantly associated with the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. The study, “Role of Multiple Vitamin D-Related Polymorphisms in Multiple Sclerosis Severity: Preliminary Findings,” was published inĀ Genes. In MS, the body’s immune…
May 23, 2022 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Lower MS Risk in People With High Vitamin D Levels When Young People with high levels of free vitamin D in circulation before the age of 20 have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, a new study suggests. A significantly lower risk was also observed among people who, at ages 30ā39, had elevated levels of a…
March 9, 2022 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Exploring the connection between vitamin D and MS In this installment of our āExpert Voicesā series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Kassandra Munger to answer some of your questions about the connection between vitamin D levels and multiple sclerosis (MS). Munger received her bachelor’s in biology from the University of Rochester in 1997, master’s in…
February 10, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Weak Bones That Are Prone to Fractures May Affect Many With MS Almost half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients show reduced bone density (osteopenia) and about 17% have osteoporosis, a progressive disease characterized by weak bones that are prone to fractures, a review study of data covering almost 14,000 patients reported. These findings suggest that people with MS should be monitored…
February 4, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias Taking Another Look at Vitamin D, Immune Tolerance, and MS I’ve been popping vitamin D pills for years ā decades, really. I never really understood why, I just knew that many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are vitamin D-deficient. A recent study has cast some new light on why I should continue. It all seems to comes down to…
January 31, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: COVID-19 Booster, EBV Treatment, Childhood MS Risks, Vitamin D COVID-19 Booster May Benefit Patients on Anti-CD20 Therapy After multiple reports of how Gilenya and anti-CD20 MS medications reduce the efficacy of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, here’s more evidence that a booster shot may improve that protection. The researchers report “modestly increased levels” of antiāSARS-CoV-2 antibodies after a third…
January 26, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS How Vitamin D Modulates Immune System Activity Detailed in Study Vitamin D can influence the immune system’s tolerance to certain proteins by changing how DNA is packaged in specific immune cells called dendritic cells, according to a new study. Its findings could have implications for treating diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are characterized by the immune system attacking…
January 14, 2022 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Complementary and alternative medicine for multiple sclerosis In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Allen C. Bowling, MD, PhD, to answer some of your questions related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bowling is an internationally recognized neurologist and integrative medicine pioneer with…
January 3, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Top 10 Multiple Sclerosis Stories of 2021 Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific research, advances in treatment, and clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2021. We look forward to continuing to be a resource for the MS community in 2022. Here are the Top 10 most-read articles of…
December 17, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Sun-seeking Finds Support in New Study I’m back in Florida for the next several months, having left cloudy, windy, chilly Maryland for the Gulf Coast. It’s been sunny and in the low 80s for the past few days, and my multiple sclerosis (MS) is feeling just fine. A lot of people with MS avoid the heat,…
December 15, 2021 by BioNews Staff Expert Voices: Diet and nutrition for people with multiple sclerosis In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked registered dietitian Mona BostickĀ to answer some of your questions related to diet and nutrition for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bostick, who has MS, works in private practice in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she helps…
December 13, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Higher Sunlight Exposure Tied to Reduced MS Risk in Children Children and young adults who spend more time outdoors in the sunshine are less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study, which suggests that sunshine might help to protect against the disease. “Advising regular time in the sun of at least 30 minutes daily especially…
December 6, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Vitamin D Deficiency, Emotions, Neurostimulation Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Early Cognitive Issues in Study I’ve taken a vitamin D supplement for many years because numerous studies have shown a correlation between low vitamin D levels and MS. My levels have been normal for years, and I assume the supplement has helped. Even so,…
December 2, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Early Cognitive Difficulties in Study Low vitamin D levels in the bloodstream are associated with slower information processing speeds in people withĀ early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. āOur data support the hypothesis that vitamin D is involved in cognition in MS,ā its researchers concluded. The study, āSerum Vitamin D as…
November 3, 2021 News by Somi Igbene, PhD No Link Found Between Vitamin D Levels, Age at First MS Symptoms There is no link between serum vitamin D levels and the age at which an individual develops the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new observational study suggests. However, a link was found between cerebrospinal fluid antibody levels, serum vitamin D levels, and the age at first MS…
August 13, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Can Special Diets or Vitamin Supplements Ease My MS Symptoms? Can I survive without dessert? Can I live without ice cream, chocolate, and fruit pies, or with only a small amount of beef when I want a burger? The other day, my wife decided to start the ketogenic diet to try to lose some weight. I’m a skinny guy, so…
May 20, 2021 News by Aisha I Abdullah PhD Vitamin D Binding Protein a Potential Biomarker in MS Lower blood levels of vitamin D binding protein, known as VDBP, were observed in newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a new study ā findings that suggest the protein could potentially act as a biomarker for the neurodegenerative disease. āThe…
March 11, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Vitamin D Supplements at Preclinical Stage Prevented MS in Mice Vitamin D, but not paricalcitol (a vitamin D analog), can be used as a preventive measure to control the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study of mice. The study, āPreclinical therapy with vitamin D3 in experimental encephalomyelitis: Efficacy and comparison with paricalcitol,ā was…
February 26, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD #ACTRIMS2021 – 30 Minutes in Sun Each Day Lowers MS Risk in Children Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25ā27. GoĀ hereĀ to see all the latest stories from the conference. Spending more time in the summer sun and living in generally sunnier places appears to provide protection against…
January 6, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Less Sunlight Means More Risk of Relapse, Disability, Studies Assert Reduced exposure to sunlight, previously reported as a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS), also seems to increase the risk for relapse and worsening disability, data from two clinical studies suggest. The beneficial effects of sunlight exposure were linked to increased levels of vitamin D, but also modulation…
December 29, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Top 10 Multiple Sclerosis Stories of 2020 Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific findings, treatment developments, and clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2020, a year marked by theĀ COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to reporting more news to patients, family members, and caregivers dealing with MS during…
September 4, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD MS Patients Who Interact With Health Information More Likely to Adopt Healthy Lifestyle Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who interact with different sources of health information are more likely to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors, a study has found. A combination of in-person interactive educational workshops and practical tools to implement these concepts in daily life may be the best strategy to…
April 20, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Fampyra, COVID-19, Vitamin D, Neurodegeneration Fampyra, Aid for Walking, Favored for Inclusion in NHS Scotland I used Ampyra, as Fampyra is known in the U.S., for about a year. It improved my walking a little, but I had to give it up due to cost. It’s been available in the States for a decade,…