living with MS

An intermittent fasting (IF) diet may lead to immune and metabolic alterations that ease multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and improve quality of life, a recent review of published studies suggests. While evidence from these few small clinical trials indicates an IF diet…

Last month, I told you that while I’m not a psychologist, I’m fascinated by the subject. I should probably make a list of things I don’t do but still find interesting. One of those professions we can add to the list is historian. I enjoy reading and learning about…

As those of us with multiple sclerosis (MS) know, every so often a call comes or a letter arrives telling us we have a date with an extraordinary friend: the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. For me, it seems that time has arrived again. Just a few days…

Under a new agreement, Biogen is transferring ownership of certain digital health solutions — including two existing mobile applications, or apps, offering lifestyle support to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — to Aptar Digital Health. The collaboration calls for Aptar, part of AptarGroup, to handle product design…

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. If you haven’t gotten anything for your significant other yet, let me add to the holiday’s commercialization by reminding you that time is running out. It really wasn’t my foremost intention to spur anyone into panicked action. This column isn’t even about…

Summer planning has started for my family, which means trying to arrange trips and time together. Before I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), we could simply book an excursion that looked enjoyable. But now, thanks to my mobility issues, planning is slightly tricker. In the…

Pelvic floor exercises, which strengthen the muscles around the bladder, bowel, and vagina, can help with sexual health and lessen sex-related distress in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small study found. Women reported increased sexual desire, arousal, and better overall satisfaction after engaging in a 12-week training program,…

Real-world data collected from a registry can be used to reliably compare the effectiveness of different multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments, so long as appropriate methodologies are employed to account for the messiness — what researchers call confounding bias — of real-world data, according to a new study. While registries…

Because multiple sclerosis (MS) has changed much of my life in a short amount of time, I’m now fighting mental health issues. Things have been especially tough since the start of the new year. Usually, I’d spend January working, planning holiday time, and looking at my calendar to…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received a university-level education are more likely to be on disease-modifying treatment (DMT) in regions with a publicly funded healthcare system, a U.K.-based study suggests. Advanced education was also linked to treatment starting faster and high-efficacy…

People in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more spontaneous myelin repair in the cortex — the outermost layer of the brain that’s critical for higher cognitive abilities — are less likely to experience worsening disability, a new analysis suggests. These findings have important implications for…

Geographical proximity to neurologists and multiple sclerosis (MS) speciality care centers is lower for people living in rural regions of the U.S. relative to metropolitan areas, according to recent research. Areas with higher proportions of Hispanic individuals, uninsured people, and those with disabilities generally also were more likely to…

New guidelines from the Spanish Society of Neurology emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment in the management of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). These guidelines also highlight a need to move beyond traditional views of “first line” and “second line” MS treatments, suggesting instead a…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) utilize more healthcare resources a year before their MS diagnosis, suggesting this may be a period of prodromal MS, when patients start having unspecific and mild MS symptoms. These might include mild cognitive issues, skin problems, and anemia, when the body doesn’t have…

My name is Dave and I’m Beth Shorthouse-Ullah’s husband. We had spoken about the possibility of writing a column that looks at the experiences of partners of people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). But instead of sharing a thought-provoking piece from another perspective, today I sadly announce that Beth…

A smartphone application called Floodlight Open may help in tracking areas of function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but more work is needed to improve patient adherence to using the app in a real-world setting, according to a new study. Researchers tested Floodlight Open’s use among more than…

My father taught me to play chess when I was barely old enough to say the names of the pieces.  I wasn’t a child prodigy or anything like that. I never joined a chess club or competed in a single tournament. I simply enjoyed the game…

I’m not a psychologist, but if you’re a regular reader of my column, you know that I’m intrigued by the subject. I seem to be particularly drawn to unusual conditions and making amateurish comparisons to multiple sclerosis (MS). In my defense, MS has odd symptoms, so…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have high levels of T-cells in their spinal fluid that specifically target cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a new study. These T-cells were found in samples collected from patients during their diagnostic workup in the early stages of…

Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) may stabilize disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have severe walking impairments — a patient group excluded from clinical trials supporting the therapy’s 2017 approval — a real-world analysis suggests. However, about half of those receiving Ocrevus in this study discontinued…

In people with a family history of multiple sclerosis (MS), exclusive breastfeeding in the first months of life may reduce the risk of developing the disease later on, whereas use of cow’s milk or formula may increase MS risk. That’s according to a new study on the potential impact…

Living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is linked to a significantly lower rate of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) — including among people exposed to antiretroviral treatment, or medicines that can stop the HIV virus from replicating — a new study found. The rate of MS was particularly reduced…

An analysis of data covering nearly 200 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) found no association between dairy or gluten consumption and MS disease activity. While some specific diets for MS tend to restrict gluten and/or dairy, this study found that people who ate these dietary products were as…

Throughout 2023, Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought consistent coverage to our readers of the latest scientific research, developments in treatment, and clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here is a list of the top 10 most-read stories we published last year, along with a brief description. We look…

The new year is nearly upon us, so if you’re planning to make any resolutions, you should probably narrow down the list. As I said last year, I’m not in the habit of making any, but I did resolve to foster a sense of hope. I still have what…

Sending SMS text messages to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — with tips for fatigue self-management and to regularly check in on them — may be a feasible, acceptable, and engaging tool to help these patients manage disease-related fatigue, according to a pilot study. The findings also showed some…

When my general practitioner first spoke about the possibility of a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in February 2022, I walked out of his office. I broke down in tears; I was terrified. At that instant, my first thought was, “OK, so how long do I have left?”…

Remote coaching sessions to support the mental and emotional health of informal multiple sclerosis (MS) caregivers, coupled with online information, showed significant benefits after four months, according to a pilot study. These coaching sessions — known as psychoeducation — focused on information, support, and strategies for caring and planning…

I’m not very good at this sort of thing, but depending on whether or not you count today and the 25th itself, we’ve got about four days left until Christmas. If I still needed to get my wife anything, I’d be entering shopping panic mode about now. Fortunately, I don’t…

Where has the year gone? As we move closer to Christmas and a new year, I’ve pondered what the past 12 months of change have brought to my life. At the beginning of the year, I was working full time and still coming to terms with the diagnosis of…