January 29, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Gender, age at PPMS onset has no impact on disability progression Gender and age at the onset of disease don’t seem to have a clinically relevant impact on disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), according to a recent study in Argentina. Disease progression, based on the Expanded Disability Status…
February 22, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Review Highlights Substantial Knowledge Gaps in Women’s Health in MS There has been a marked increase in the amount of research done regarding women’s health in multiple sclerosis (MS) over the last decade or two, but there remain substantial gaps in scientific knowledge, especially for topics outside of pregnancy, according to a scoping review. “Future studies are needed that…
April 17, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Inflammation, Blood Fats Linked to Cardiovascular Disease in MS Scientists have identified a link between systemic inflammation and fat (lipid) metabolism that may underlie the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study with that finding, āLipoprotein profiling in early…
February 28, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – Pregnancies and Menopause Affect Age of Progressive MS Onset Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have never given birth and those who began menopause prematurely tend to develop progressive forms of the disease earlier, a study from theĀ Mayo ClinicĀ suggests. These findings were presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum…
December 17, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gene Silencing in Paternal X Chromosome May Explain Higher Rate of MS in Women, Mouse Study Suggests A cluster of immune-related genes located in the X chromosome are more active in the X chromosome inherited from the mother than in the one from the father, a new mouse study shows. These findings may help explain why women have higher rates of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple…
December 12, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Pediatric MS Affects More Girls Than Boys in US, Analysis of KID Data Shows Records from theĀ Kid’s Inpatient DatabaseĀ (KID) ā the largest database of pediatric patients admitted to hospitals in the U.S. ā show that more than twice as many girls as boys were diagnosed withĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) in 2016. The data shows that 259 boys and 610 girls younger than age 18…
November 15, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Depression, Fatigue Influence Health-related Quality of Life More Than Physical Impairment of MS, Study Reveals Depression and fatigue have a more powerful influence on the overall health-related quality of life, compared to physical impairment, among patients with multiple sclerosis, a new study shows. The study, āContributing factors to healthārelated quality of life in multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the journal Brain and…
September 13, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Longer DMT Use and Female Sex Seen to Protect Against SPMS Conversion Women with multiple sclerosis (MS), and people who stay in a relapsing stage or use disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for longer periods are less likely to transition to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) than others, according to a study based on the Italian MS registry. But patients whose…
August 22, 2019 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD Gene on X Chromosome May Be Reason Women at Higher Risk of MS, Study Says Females of certain species ā like humans and mice ā have a known ability to produce more of the geneĀ Kdm6aĀ than males because it’s located on the X chromosome, of which females have two.Ā Kdm6aĀ is also quite active in immune system T-cells, a study found, and silencingĀ it in a mice model…
November 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD RRMS Diagnosed Most Often in Younger Women and PPMS in Older Men, European Study Reports Women withĀ multiple sclerosis are being diagnosed at younger ages and in greater numbers than men, except for those with primary progressive disease (PPMS), where men 50 or older tend to predominate, a European review study that looked at trends over several decades reports. The study āAgeādependent variation of female…
September 10, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD ‘Guardian’ Immune Cells of Brain Respond Differently by Sex, Study of Male and Female Mice Reports Gender differences are evident in immune system cells of the brain called microglia, a study in male and female mice reports, suggesting these cells’ sex-specific features may be important to treating people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. The study ā…
August 21, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Male or Female Doctor? Is One Better than the Other? The neurologist who treats my MS is a woman. So is my primary care physician. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and an article in The New York Times makes me feel my decision is the right one. Patient studies tell the tale The Times article points…
April 16, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Adverse Effects Influence Patient’s Perspective of Ocrevus’s Effectiveness, Survey Shows Higher rates of adverse effects have a negative impact on a patient’s perspective about treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab),Ā according to aĀ survey conducted by the multiple sclerosis communityĀ GeneFo. About half of the 840 patient responses surveyed so far have reported improvements from Ocrevus. Those reporting none had a higher rate…
September 6, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Older Women with MS Age Better Than Their Male Counterparts, Canadian Survey Finds Older men with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more harmful lifestyles than older women with the disease, concludesĀ theĀ Canadian Survey of Health, Lifestyle and Aging with Multiple Sclerosis. Treatment for depression could go a long way to promoting more healthy lifestyles for all older MS patients, authors suggest. The study, ā…
August 31, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc MS and a Type of Schizophrenia May Belong to the Same Class of Disorders, Review Concludes Striking similarities betweenĀ patients with multiple sclerosis and a type of schizophrenia suggest the disorders are related, according to a review of a number of studies. Dr. Boris M. Arneth wrote theĀ article, āMultiple Sclerosis and Schizophrenia.ā It was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. MS…
April 18, 2017 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Norwegian Researchers Analyze MS Life Expectancy, Survival and Mortality in 60-year Longitudinal Study A 60-year longitudinal multiple sclerosis (MS) study in a Norwegian cohort analyzing life expectancy, survival and mortality concluded that MS patients live shorter lives and have higher mortality than the general population. The report, āSurvival and cause of death in multiple sclerosis: a 60-year longitudinal population study,ā…
February 8, 2017 News by admin Obesity and Early Start of Puberty Linked to Greater Likelihood of MS in Study of Teens Obesity in early adolescence poses a risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) regardless of sex, and an earlier age at puberty also contributes to MS onset at younger ages, especially inĀ overweight teenagers, a study reports. These findings were in the study, āDistinct…
January 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Genes That Influence Physical Traits May Be Reason MS More Common in Women The key to why more women than men develop multiple sclerosis (MS) may be genes that influence physical traits, such as weight, height, and body shape, according to a new study. Researchers caution that the findings need to be verified, but they said processes leading to disease may differ between…
January 3, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Inactivity and Poor Diet Are Common Risk Factors Among MS Patients, Study Says Lack of physical activity and a poor diet may be the most common risk factors for poor health and survival in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The research, āIndividual And Co-Occurring SNAP Risk Factors,ā was published in theĀ International Journal of MS Care. The development…
November 11, 2016 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Late-Onset MS Patients More Likely to Progress Quickly to Disability, Study Says People with late-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to more rapidly riseĀ inĀ disability scores than younger patients with early onset MS, according to study in MS patients in Kuwait that compared their scores during follow-up consultations. Typically, the first symptoms of Ā multiple sclerosis occur between the ages of 18 and 40, with…
November 10, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Men and Women Seen to Differ in Genetic Susceptibility to MS and Its Progression in Study Researchers in Russia found for a first time an association between variants in GAL, a gene that codes for the galanin protein, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Importantly, they alsoĀ found that this association is sex specific. The study,Ā āSingle-nucleotide polymorphism rs948854 in human galanin gene and multiple sclerosis: a…
September 29, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD MS More Frequent Among Females Exposed to High Levels of Copper, Study Shows Exposure toĀ heavy metals and being femaleĀ are associated with a higher incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study conducted by Maria Cristina Monti and colleagues from two Italian universities. The study, āIs Geo-Environmental Exposure a Risk Factor for Multiple Sclerosis? A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in South-Western Sardinia,ā was…