March 21, 2024 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister I’m a disabled veteran, but sometimes it’s hard to explain I have not been kind to my body over the years. I was very active in my old life, although I was a little clumsy even before multiple sclerosis (MS) started affecting my balance. Active and clumsy aren’t a great combination. I accumulated plenty of bumps and bruises along…
March 7, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD ACTRIMS 2024: An antihistamine may speed MS disease progression The antihistamine clemastine accelerated disease progression by more than five times in some adults with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) who received it in a Phase 1/2 trial, new data show. Joanna Kocot, PhD, a neuroscientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), showed that this effect is at least…
January 31, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Myelin repair early in MS may protect against disability worsening People in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more spontaneous myelin repair in the cortex ā the outermost layer of the brain that’s critical for higher cognitive abilities ā are less likely to experience worsening disability, a new analysis suggests. These findings have important implications for…
January 26, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS More disability, fewer resources in pregnant Black, Hispanic patients In the U.S., pregnant people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) who are Black or Hispanic tend to have more severe disability than their white counterparts, along with fewer socioeconomic resources, a new study indicates.Ā āWhat we are seeing is that underrepresented women with MS start their…
November 29, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Stopping DMT use tied to greater long-term disability in MS database People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who discontinue a disease-modifying treatment are more likely to have greater long-term disability than patients who continue with such therapies or go untreated, a registry database study reports. Findings also suggest that patients who self-report better mobility early in their disease course also…
October 13, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ECTRIMS 2023: Early high-efficacy DMTs may help slow MS disability People with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who had an early start on high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) experience slower disability progression compared with those on escalation treatment, according to recent research. The study, which followed patients for up to 10 years, supports starting high-risk RRMS patients on highly effective…
October 6, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Progression without relapses drives most disability worsening in MS Most disability worsening events happen independent of relapse activity across all types of multiple sclerosis (MS), including clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and early relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), a new study reports. The findings challenge the idea that relapses are the main driver of disability worsening in early relapsing…
September 13, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Disability after RRMS diagnosis may predict transition to SPMS Greater self-reported physical disability within the first years of being diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with a higher likelihood of transitioning to a progressive form of the disease. The finding comes from a recent analysis of patient-reported data from the U.K. MS Register. Scientists believe the…
July 24, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Primary progressive MS can greatly reduce life quality, ability to work Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) can greatly reduce quality of life for patients and affect their ability to work, according to real-world data collected from a German MS registry. These results āconfirm the steadily deteriorating course of PPMS accompanied by increasingly limited quality of life,ā researchers wrote. The study,…
July 21, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Early disability tied to higher risk of secondary progressive MS: Study Experiencing disability in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), even without relapses, increases the risk of progression to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), a more severe form of the disease, a large study finds. Starting a disease-modifying therapy early on in the disease may decrease the SPMS…
June 15, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister It’s not what I expected, being a parent with a disability Einstein said that time is relative, and as I age (gracefully, I hope), Iāve found that to be true. For example, I frequently find myself referring to events that occurred a decade or more in the past as happening ājust the other day.ā In my mind, I’m still…
June 1, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Stress in MS linked to worse disability, more burden in US survey Being exposed to stress as children or adults makes it more likely that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will experience more disability and/or a heavier burden from relapses, according to a new survey study of more than 700 people in the U.S. āMS is the leading cause of non-traumatic…
March 24, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias Is preboarding travelers with disabilities a good thing or not? Boarding an aircraft before others is a small benefit to being a disabled flyer. For years, giving me a small start to get down the jetway ahead of even the most frequent of frequent flyers has given me time to get off the little scooterĀ I use due to my…
February 27, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Loss of myelin in spinal cord tied to MS disability A greater loss of myelin ā the protective coating around nerve fibers ā in the part of the spinal cord found in the neck was associated with worse disability in people with multiple sclerosis, data from a new study showed. More substantial myelin loss in this region, known…
February 23, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister Learning to love ā and accept ā that person in the photograph We had family portraits made a few days ago. With a family of five, this never goes perfectly, so there was a little pre-photo briefing beforehand. There were some veiled threats, a promise of dinner after as a reward for good behavior, and more than a few hissed admonishments to…
November 10, 2022 News by Patricia Valerio, PhD Retinal Thinning in Eyes Linked to Worse Restless Legs Syndrome in MS Worse disability scores in multiple sclerosis (MS) patientsĀ with restless legs syndrome (RLS) were significantly associated with the thinning of a retinal layer in the eye in a new study.Ā Overall, the study found that people with MS who experience RLS exhibit more severe disability than those…
November 9, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Life Expectancy Declines Linked to More Severe MS Disability in Study Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with minimal to moderate disability live about 30 additional years after their diagnosis, but life expectancy steadily decreases as patients reach more advanced levels of disability,Ā a new study suggests. For example, average life expectancy drops to just over a decade when patients become unable to…
November 2, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā DMTs Ease SPMS Disability Early but Not Over Time Early use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) among people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) may lead to overall lower levels of disability, according to a new analysis. But staying on treatment does not appear to significantly slow disability progression over time. People with SPMS who used DMTs early…
November 2, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā 2 Brain Lesion Types Linked to Greater Disability Recently diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with two forms of chronic active brain lesions ā slowly expanding lesions (SELs) and paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) ā on their MRI scans experience greater disability progression than those with SELs only, a small study suggests. Also, the slowly expanding lesions are…
October 28, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD #ECTRIMS2022 ā Smartphone Tap Speed May Help in Monitoring MS Tap speed ā or how quickly one types on a smartphone keyboard ā may be a useful tool for monitoring multiple sclerosis (MS) severity and detecting the transition to a progressive form of the disease, according to new research data. Results demonstrated that slower tapping speeds were linked to…
October 28, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias Do Doctors Discriminate Against People With Disabilities? “I Am Not The Doctor For You” is the title of a shocking new study published earlier this month in the journal Health Affairs. It reports that a number of doctors acknowledged being uncomfortable with treating people with a disability. The study was conceived of by Lisa Iezzoni,…
October 17, 2022 News by Patricia Valerio, PhD Mediterranean Diet Associated With Lower Disability Risk in MS Study High adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of disability outcomes, as well as reported disease symptoms, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The data provide important information for further studies to guide clinical recommendations in MS. The study, āMediterranean…
October 7, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias Is Your Disability Ready for an Emergency Like Hurricane Ian? “I thought it would never happen to me.” I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard someone utter that phrase during my four decades in the news media. Last week, it happened to me. About three years ago, my wife and I bought a condo as a…
October 3, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: ODRS Test, Kesimpta, Coping Strategies, Dual Tasking Study Supports MS Disability Test Score as Outcome Measure in Trials Adding two other disability measurements to the commonly used Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is a good idea, not only for trials but also in everyday patient assessments as well. Measuring our level of disability using only…
September 29, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Supports MS Disability Test Score as Outcome Measure in Trials The Overall Disability Response Score, a combination of three different assessments of disability, could be used to more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of treatments in multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials, a new study illustrates. The score is composed of three measures commonly used to assess disability in MS, which…
July 18, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Certain MS Lesions Linked to Worse Disability, but Location Not a Factor The presence ofĀ iron rim lesions (IRLs), which are regions of chronic nervous system damage with ongoing inflammation, visible on MRI scans, is linked with more substantial disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS),Ā according to a new study. However, the connection between these lesions and worse disability does not…
June 2, 2022 News by Mary Chapman All Vets With MS Invited to Join Paralyzed Veterans of America Acknowledging advances in early detection of multiple sclerosis (MS), the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is broadening its membership and inviting all veterans with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder to join the nonprofit organization. Now, all veterans with MS are eligible for PVA membership and the same support available to…
May 23, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: DMTs and Symptoms, Aquatic Exercise, Infections āHiddenā Disabilities Fairly Common at RRMS Diagnosis, Study Finds This headline doesn’t report the full nature of this story. In addition to being “fairly common,” the research concludes that disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have little effect on these so-called “hidden disabilities.”Ā I don’t agree with that conclusion. Most of…
May 17, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ‘Hidden’ Disabilities Fairly Common at RRMS Diagnosis, Study Finds Many people newly diagnosed withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) experience substantial “hidden disabilities,” such as depression or fatigue, a study highlights. Findings indicate that treatment with disease-modifying therapies generally does not affect the severity of these problems, at least in the short term. “Considering the substantial impact that hidden…
April 20, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Gray Matter Loss in Spine Crucial, But Difficult, Marker of MS Disability Loss of gray matter in the spinal cord clearly associates with greater disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but determining the extent of its loss is limited by an inability to accurately measure gray matter in all patients, a small study in Spain reported. The true amount of…