iron

Low blood levels of ferritin — the main form of iron stored in cells — are significantly associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a small study from Poland reports. Data showed no link between the levels of other measures of…

Throughout 2019, Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific findings, treatment developments, and clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS). We look forward to reporting more news to patients, family members, and caregivers dealing with MS during 2020. Here are the top 10 most-read articles of…

Deferiprone, a compound that lowers iron levels in the bloodstream by binding to iron molecules, can slow progression of a severe neurodegenerative disorder called pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a study reports. Because a toxic buildup of iron in the brain is also associated with multiple sclerosis and other neurological…

The amount of zinc, iron, and other minerals a person has in his or her diet is not associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. The study, “Total intake of different minerals and the risk of multiple sclerosis,” was published…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients eat a more limited diet, with a lower average of 31 nutrients, including zinc, thiamin, and iron, when compared with healthy controls, a study shows. Blood tests also showed that MS patients had significantly lower iron levels, a different fatty acid composition in their red blood…

Brain Iron Levels Correlate with MS Progression, Disability Risk, Study Shows Currently, doctors measure shrinkage in the brain as a way to predict physical and cognitive decline in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). But it takes a long time to see this brain atrophy on a standard…

Evaluating the local differences in iron accumulation in the deep gray matter of the brain using a special magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, may help identify multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at greater risk for disease progression and disability, a study reports. The study “Brain Iron by Using Quantitative MRI…

University of California at San Francisco Recruiting MS Patients for Gut Bacteria Study Last year, a Harvard study reported significant differences between bacteria that MS patients have in their bellies and that found in those who don’t have MS. If that bacteria is treated, those MS-related changes might…

Children with multiple sclerosis consume less iron, which may affect their immune and nervous systems, according to a study. Most MS cases occur between the ages of 20 and 40, but sometimes children under 18 develop it. Pediatric-onset MS, as it is called, is believed to account for 3 to 5 percent of cases that adults have now. Despite their low frequency, they are important because "the study of factors early in life which could affect their disease may provide important insight into the disease more generally," the researchers from the Network of Pediatric MS Centers wrote. One of the factors that could be important in the onset of MS is diet. But little has been known about how diet influences the risk and progression of the disease, particularly in pediatric MS. In a study funded by the National MS Society, researchers decided to investigate the association between diet and MS in children, according to a press release. The team recruited 312 MS patients 18 and younger from 16 children's hospitals in the United States, and 456 controls without MS. The participants, or their parents, answered a questionnaire dealing with the participants' medical history, their physical development, and whether they were exposed to potentially harmful environmental factors. The questionnaire also covered demographic information and race. Researchers used the Block Kids Food Screener questionnaire to obtain information about the participants' diets, including their intake of fiber, fat, carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and iron. The analysis showed no meaningful link between the consumption of fiber, fat, carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products and children's development of MS. Children with the disease did have lower iron intake than the controls, however. Although in this exploratory study researchers didn’t look at whether there was a cause-and-effect relationship between iron and MS, the results suggested that children with the disease may be less likely to consume iron, a fact that warrants further investigation. Iron is a vital mineral for our body to function properly, and low iron intake may affect the immune and nervous systems. Future studies on the risk of children developing MS should "investigate the role of specific vitamins and minerals," the team said. They should also "investigate the influence of dietary factors on disease outcomes in already established" cases of MS.

Hemoglobin leaking from injured red blood cells may be associated with brain atrophy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), according to researchers at the Imperial College London, U.K. The study, “Free Serum Haemoglobin Is Associated With Brain Atrophy In Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in the journal Wellcome…