MS news notes: Bowel symptoms, MS blood test, diet study

Note: This column was updated Sept. 12, 2023, to correct that Octave’s MSDA blood test is currently available and in use throughout the U.S.

Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening:

MS patients hesitant to discuss bowel problems with doctors

Who wants to talk about bowel issues with neurologists? Not many of us, according to a study reported in the MS News Today story “Bowel problems often unreported by MS patients to their doctors.”

The study says about two-thirds of people with MS have bowel symptoms, such as constipation or diarrhea, but keep silent about them even though they impact their quality of life. The study mentions pain and discomfort, but I’ll add another issue that has happened to me: A full colon can put pressure on the bladder, resulting in urinary frequency and urgency.

The researchers in this study report that some patients consider the subject stigmatizing, and healthcare professionals aren’t usually proactive about diagnosing bowel symptoms. But the study suggests a solution: a self-reported questionnaire about neurogenic bowel dysfunction. It could screen patients for bowel symptoms without the need for them to talk about it.

What do you think? Have you talked about bowel problems with your neurologist? Would you be more comfortable filling out a questionnaire?

Recommended Reading

March 30, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD

Bacterial toxin epsilon in gut may be environmental driver of MS

Using a blood test and AI to measure disease activity

Another tool has joined the arsenal of MS tests, this one measuring disease progression, monitoring disease activity, and tracking responses to treatment.

“Octave’s blood test accurately captures MS disease activity: Study” looks at a blood test that reviews protein levels and then uses artificial intelligence algorithms to help measure the level of new disease activity.

The MS disease activity (MSDA) blood test, according to the story, reports that “people with moderate to high MSDA scores were more than four times as likely to have at least one inflamed lesion, compared to those with low scores. … Patients with a high MSDA score were more than 20 times as likely to have two or more such lesions.”

This looks like a test that could provide important information to neurologists, especially in assessing how well a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is working for a patient.

Diet plus supplements may improve some progressive MS symptoms

The story “Anti-inflammatory diet, synbiotics ease progressive MS symptoms” reports on a small study involving only 69 people, 77% of whom are women. I’m highlighting it because, according to these researchers, other studies have failed to look at the combined effects of diet plus supplements on people with progressive forms of MS.

In this study, some participants received daily synbiotic supplements (a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics) along with a diet that was anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich, with 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 30% fats, most of which came from olive oil, fish, and vegetables. A control group ate their usual diet plus a placebo supplement. This lasted for four months. All of the test subjects continued their usual DMTs and received guidance from a dietitian.

The group that received the supplements plus the anti-inflammatory diet reported significant reductions in fatigue and pain, as well as improved bladder control, bowel control, and sexual function compared with baseline (the start of the study). The group using a regular diet plus placebo reported that symptoms sometimes worsened.

The improvement is encouraging for the people with MS who have the ability to start and stick with a diet as strict as this one. But I’m not among them. Are you?

Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.