November 1, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS African American MS patients have high B-cell levels in CSF, study says People with multiple sclerosis (MS) of African descent had higher levels of inflammatory B-cells in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord compared with white MS patients in a small U.S. study. These findings may help to explain why Black people with MS tend to experience a faster…
October 25, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Review: Racial Disparities Impact Black, Hispanic MS Patients in US Black and Hispanic/Latinx people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.S. tend to have more severe disease, but less access to specialty care, greater diagnostic delays, and poorer outcomes, a review found. Moreover, Blacks are at higher risk than whites of both developing MS and dying from it. These…
August 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Variant in STK11 Gene Tied to Greater MS Risk for Black People in US A variation in a gene calledĀ STK11, previously shown to increase the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) among Caucasians, is now also linked to a greater likelihood of MS in Black people. In fact, the variation was significantly more common in Black MS patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS),…
April 22, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM – More Diversity Needed Among Neurologists, Presenters Agree Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read the latest stories from the conference. There is a lack of diversity among neurologists, who are disproportionately white men, but new programs aimed at inclusivity may…
October 23, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD New Genetic Variants Found in African Americans of European Ancestry at Higher MS Risk Two genetic variants have been identified by researchers within a genome region previously reported to drive a 1.44-times increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a group of African Americans with European ancestry. Located in genes involved in immune responses, the variants fully explain the reported European ancestry-associated increased…
July 6, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Tecfidera Safe and Effective in Hispanic/Latino MS Patients, Real-world Data Show TecfideraĀ (dimethyl fumarate) is as safe and effective in Hispanic/LatinoĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patients as it is in their non-Hispanic and non-Latino peers, three-year data from a real-world study show. These interim findings, based on the largest group of Tecfidera-treated Hispanic and Latino MS patients studied to date, support the therapyās…
June 19, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD CMSC Meeting Focuses on Challenges, Solutions to Quality of Life Issues Nearly 3,000 multiple sclerosis (MS) healthcare providers and researchers Ā convened recently to share their findings regarding the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of MS. However, unlike past meetings, this year’s 34th Annual Meeting of theĀ Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC) took place online. Virtual presentations covered the…
July 30, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD African-Americans Show Better Adherence and Satisfaction with Gilenya Than Injectable DMTs, Phase 4 Study Finds African-Americans with relapsingāremitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) show higher adherence and greater satisfaction when treated with oralĀ Gilenya (fingolimod, by Novartis) than with injectable therapies, according to a new study. The research, āTreatment retention on fingolimod compared with injectable multiple sclerosis therapies in African-American patients: A…