According to the research, “Puberty attainment marks a dramatic increase in MS incidence and the emergence of a female predominant sex ratio, suggesting that it may be a defining period in MS etiology” the team wrote in its study.
The study’s goal was to clarify whether puberty onset at a younger age increases the chances of developing MS, given that contradictory results have been reported on that hypothesis.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis based on genetic variants strongly associated with age at menarche (the first menstrual cycle) in a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 329,245 women.
The analysis revealed that a one-year decrease in the age at puberty increased odds of MS development by 8 percent.
However, after taking into account the effect of body mass index (BMI) in puberty timing, the direct effect of age on MS susceptibility was lost.
“This study demonstrates that genetically decreased age at puberty increases the risk of MS. This association is largely mediated by the effects of puberty timing on BMI. However, the pathways underlying a possible effect of age at puberty on disease course and severity remain unclear” the researchers concluded.
The ACTRIMS Forum’s main goals have been to promote young investigators’ research and provide them the opportunity to interact with established researchers and clinicians, encouraging knowledge sharing and advances in the MS field.
The annual ACTRIMS Forum reached almost 1,000 attendees this year. ACTRIMS Forum 2019 will be held Feb. 28–March 2 in Dallas, Texas.
Ana is a molecular biologist with a passion for communication and discovery. As a science writer, her goal is to provide readers, in particular patients and healthcare providers, with clear and quality information about the latest medical advances. Ana holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she specialized in infectious diseases, epigenetics, and gene expression.
Ana is a molecular biologist with a passion for communication and discovery. As a science writer, her goal is to provide readers, in particular patients and healthcare providers, with clear and quality information about the latest medical advances. Ana holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she specialized in infectious diseases, epigenetics, and gene expression.