In general, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are able to make and sustain healthy lifestyle changes associated with a better quality of life, a study shows. The study, “Health outcomes and adherence to a healthy lifestyle after a multimodal intervention in people with multiple sclerosis: Three year follow-up,”…
Despite increasing prevalence, multiple sclerosis (MS) continues to fly under the radar with only 40 percent of Australians ranking MS as a community health priority, highlighting the need for greater awareness. Estimates show that 25,600 Australians live with MS — an increase of 4,400 over the past eight years.
It’s been a little over a year since U.S. regulators approved Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) as the first treatment for both relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) — a disabling neurological disease now believed to affect nearly one million Americans. While the jury’s still out regarding the therapy’s…
While Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the true “two great things that go great together,” calcium and magnesium take first place for those with MS. Many proponents of special diets for MS encourage the consumption of foods high in this mineral dynamic duo (along with other vitamins needed for…
New Spherix Report Finds PPMS Treatment Increased Significantly in Past Year Primary progressive MS has, in some eyes, been the stepchild of the disease-modifying therapies. PPMS patients move steadily downhill, and some believe treatments haven’t kept pace with their disease. Now, the research company Spherix has news…
An increase in multiple sclerosis cases in the Middle East and North Africa has prompted Bayer to introduce to the region an injector that patients can use to treat themselves. Researchers have suggested that increases in the region’s cases stem from many people adopting Western lifestyles, including smoking and using sun…
It started with vitamin D. Little did I know I was starting a habit. I had my first sclerosis attack in 2006 and learned about it by having an appalling fall on a tennis court. That’s another story. I haven’t written about that yet, but I’m sure I will.
Researchers have found a link between variations in two genes that control our 24-hour biological clock and the risk of a person developing multiple sclerosis. The study, “Association of circadian rhythm genes ARNTL/BMAL1 and CLOCK with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal PLOS ONE. Scientists know MS…
An estimated 947,000 people in the U.S. have multiple sclerosis (MS) — more than double the long-accepted figure of 400,000 — according to a newly completed study organized and funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). “This is definitely not what we expected,” Nicholas G. LaRocca, vice…
This weekend, as I turned back the clocks, searched for my Happy Light, and stared in dismay at the first snowfall of the season, I was reminded that it is the time to give my immune system some extra love. Autumn and winter ― with their requisite cold and…
The numbers of people being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis is rising worldwide, though distinct differences in factors thought to drive this rise are evident among regions, according to MS data represented by researchers on patients in Asia, Latin America, and the Australia-New Zealand. The data was part of the session “Prevalence and…
When talking about MS research, we tend to focus on drug development because improved therapies, and even the cure for MS, will come from pharmaceuticals. But what do we know about other MS research that doesn’t involve taking a pill or enduring an injection? I’m talking about those…
Last week saw much of the Pacific Northwest blanketed by smoke from wildfires in British Colombia. As I pondered the gray haze Thursday, I recalled a piece from a fellow columnist in June about air pollution and MS. In addition to MS, I also have asthma. Therefore, the health…
I don’t normally go in for trends. For example, I don’t own a single pair of skinny jeans. I’ve never tried a Unicorn Frappuccino. I’m not on Instagram or Snapchat. I didn’t participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge. And I refuse to use the words “doggo,” “pupper,”…
(Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this first of two parts on terms starting with the letter “E.”) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps and…
(Editor’s note: Tamara Sellman continues her occasional series on the MS alphabet with this second of two parts on terms starting with the letter “D.”) When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering an understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps and…
In case you missed them, here are some news stories that appeared in MS News Today that caught my eye over the past week. Ocrevus Market Entry Already Changing Dynamics in MS Treatment Choices, Spherix Analysis Suggests Are pills, shots, or infusions the therapy…
The risk of children developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life has no link to how much sunlight their mothers were exposed to during pregnancy, a Polish study found. The study, “Month of birth and level of insolation as risk factors for multiple sclerosis in Poland,” appeared in the journal…
The inflammation in our bodies can be very sneaky. I am not talking about the good inflammation, also known as the group of hormones called eicosanoids (eye-KAH-sa-noids). This group of hormones provoke our immune system to fight diseases, viruses and other invaders and help in repairing tissues…
Pamela Arterbridge noticed something was wrong back in 2013 when she woke up one morning, and her legs and feet were tingling. Two years later, Lorraine Lee knew she had a problem when her right leg became extremely fatigued after every workout. Neither realized their eventual diagnosis would be multiple…
A combination of mutations in two genes makes members of a Canadian family a 7-in-10 chance of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) — a radical increase from the 1-in-1,000 risk among the general population, according to a study that illustrates the huge impact certain genes can have on disease development. Interestingly, the…
Although multiple sclerosis is not believed to be hereditary, meaning it is not passed from parents to children, if it runs in the family, the chance of developing it increases. This is especially true with siblings, and between parents and children. If one parent is affected, a child will have…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is more common among people who live in countries with temperate climates, such as the northern United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and southeastern Australia, than among those living in warmer zones. This difference may be due to greater sunlight exposure (ultraviolet or UV light), which allows for…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought by many medical researchers to be an autoimmune disease, which is when the body’s immune system turns against its own tissues. There are a number of diseases that fall into this category, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease. In MS, the immune system attacks the fatty…
When you live with multiple sclerosis you search for ways to manage your disease. You turn to doctors who inevitably prescribe one of the many FDA-approved medications, but sometimes that’s not enough. To complete the picture of seeking better health, you need to also look outside…
The McDougall diet is a low-fat, plant-based diet that many people with MS appear to benefit from. Their mood improves and they have less fatigue when they follow the diet, a study has shown. Another reason the McDougall diet would be a good idea is growing evidence that…
The Paleo diet takes as its inspiration, as its name implies, the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors (i.e., Paleolithic times). Basically, it is founded on the concept that the human body cannot handle the highly processed foods of today, and is better adapted to eating foods that are found naturally. These…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers. This disrupts the electric signals traveling along the nerve fibers from the brain to the rest of the body and back, and leads to…
What is benign MS? Does it even exist? Certainly it is not one of the types of the disease often listed as making up the multiple sclerosis family. It is a term that is surrounded by controversy,…
Relaxation and serenity are both attainable with the correct calming techniques. When overwhelmed by stress, the skills that have been gained and practiced become second nature to be summoned as needed. The combination of stress and multiple sclerosis can wreak havoc in the body. It can lead to a…
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