risk factors

Greater exposure to sunlight during the winter months — part of a person’s lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation — can help to lower the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a large U.S. cohort study suggests. The study, “Lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the risk of multiple sclerosis in…

Long-term exposure to three common air pollutants — fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone — were not found to be “convincingly” linked to incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a large population study conducted in Canada. The study, “Long-term exposure to air pollution and the incidence of multiple sclerosis: A…

Scientists have uncovered the molecular mechanism by which the genetic variant HLA-DRB1*15:01 is the strongest risk factor for multiple sclerosis, new research shows. Analyzing several studies, researchers found that the risk linked…

Discovery of ‘Fiery’ Cell Death Mechanism May Be MS ‘Game-Changer’ Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a process that may be responsible for destroying myelin. Better than that, they also think they have a way of limiting that process using a medication. The inhibitor, known…

Young adults at age 20 who are obese and smoke are not only at a higher risk of developing relapsing multiple sclerosis — those who become MS patients after age 20 are also more likely to advance to secondary progressive MS more quickly, researchers in Sweden report. But the link…

For ambulatory multiple sclerosis patients with mobility problems, perceptions of being at risk of falling are as important as the risk due to their physical condition — and both should be tested when evaluating fall risk in this patient population, a study reports. The study, “The relationship between physiological…

Girls given the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccination, commercialized as Gardasil, showed no increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new Canadian study. The time since vaccination and the number of vaccine doses given also did not correlate with diagnoses of such disorders, supporting…

Age at disease onset, number of early relapses, and the extent of brain damage at baseline can help identify those who are at high risk of progression from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis into the secondary progressive phase of the disease, a new study shows. The study with that finding, “…

A review of data concerning the multiple sclerosis (MS) medicine Zinbryta (daclizumab) confirmed its association with the risk of developing severe and potentially fatal immune reactions in the brain, liver and other organs, according to the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA)’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC). Zinbryta was authorized…

Exposure to epsilon toxin (ETX), which is mainly found in livestock, could be linked to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests. The study, “Evidence of Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin associated with multiple sclerosis,” appeared in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. ETX is one of…

Extending the time between standard doses of Tysabri (natalizumab) from four weeks to up to 12 weeks is linked to a significant decrease in the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients infected with what’s known as the JC virus, according to a recent analysis of data from…

A diet rich in fish consumption and supplemented with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is linked to a reduction of 45 percent in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, a study shows. The results confirming previous research will be shared April 26 at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of…

Infection with the common Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a new report from the  Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center says. Besides MS, the Epstein-Barr virus also raises the risk for six other disorders: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, inflammatory…

Cigarette smoking increases the relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who are being treated with interferon-beta, a study suggests. The findings suggest that RRMS patients who smoke may have fewer relapses if they quit. An article on the results, “Smoking affects the interferon beta treatment response in multiple sclerosis,” appeared in the journal Neurology. A number of studies have looked at the link between environmental and lifestyle factors and the risk of developing MS. These factors include how much sunlight and vitamin D patients get and whether they have an Epstein-Barr virus infection. Cigarette smoking is a well-documented risk factor in MS, but most of the studies on it have focused on the link between smoking and MS, or the link between smoking and the  disease's progression. “Studies that addressed the relationship between smoking and disease activity in RRMS are rarer,” the researchers wrote. The team decided to investigate whether smoking during interferon-beta treatment would affect relapse rates. Previous research had set the stage for the study by showing a link between smoking and gene mutations that make people more susceptible to developing MS. The mutations were in the HLA and NAT1 genes. The team looked at DNA from 834 RRMS patients in the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Biobank who were treated with interferon-beta. Well-known brand names of the treatment include Rebif, Avonex, and Plegridy. There are also other brand names and biosimilar drugs. Researchers also looked at patients’ medical records two years before they started on interferon-beta. Before making any conclusions on possible links between smoking and patients' relapse rate, the team adjusted for patients’ sex, age at the start of treatment, and number of relapses in the two years before treatment began. Their key conclusion was that smoking increased by more than a quarter the number of relapses in patients on interferon-beta therapy. “Each pack of cigarettes more per day during IFN-β [interferon-beta] treatment increased the number of relapses by 27%,” the team wrote. The researchers found no association among smoking, relapses, and mutations of the HLA or NAT1 genes. “Our results confirm that lifestyle factors are important in MS, suggesting that smoking cessation may be associated with a reduction in disease activity,” they wrote. “Although not formally proving that smoking cessation will decrease disease activity in RRMS, the results should encourage physicians to inform patients with MS about the harmful effect of smoking and increase focus on smoking cessation,” they observed.

People who live in areas with medium to high levels of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from sunlight during their childhood and early adolescence, or in the years preceding the age of onset of multiple sclerosis (MS), have a lower risk of developing the disease, according to researchers. The study’s findings…

Eating fish once a week, or one to three times per month along with taking daily fish oil supplements, may help lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a preliminary study shows. These findings suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish like salmon, tuna and shrimp may…

The idea that a vitamin D deficiency contributes to the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) has been challenged in a recent study that examined subtle differences in a protein involved in vitamin D metabolism in people from different ethnic backgrounds. The study, “Vitamin D-Binding Protein…

Pregnant women with multiple sclerosis (MS) exposed to Tysabri (natalizumab) in the first trimester had higher rates of miscarriage and major birth defects in their babies, than women left untreated or treated with interferon beta, a study shows. Although higher, these rates were similar to those in the general…

Extending the dosing periods of Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment may help reduce the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients infected with the JC virus, a study suggests. The study, “Natalizumab Extended Interval Dosing Is Associated with a Reduction in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy…

A molecule triggered by the male hormone testosterone protects male mice from developing multiple sclerosis, Northwestern Medicine researchers report. Their discovery may help explain why MS affects more women than men. It could also lead to targeted therapies to protect women against the disease. The study, “…

Researchers have found a link between variations in two genes that control our 24-hour biological clock and the risk of a person developing multiple sclerosis. The study, “Association of circadian rhythm genes ARNTL/BMAL1 and CLOCK with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal PLOS ONE. Scientists know MS…

Thrombin, a blood clotting factor, may be involved in the inflammatory processes of multiple sclerosis patients,  particularly those with relapsing-remitting form of the disease (RRMS), a study found. Higher levels of thrombin may also explain the increased risk of cardiovascular disease linked to MS. By measuring thrombin levels, it may…

Iranian researchers have identified another herpes virus that may increase the risk of a person developing multiple sclerosis. The team identified the human herpesvirus 6, or HHV6, as a potential risk factor for MS through a meta-analysis of several studies. They published their findings, “Relationship of Human…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated a safety bulletin about gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), after studies raised new concerns about them. Doctors often use GBCAs to diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS), monitor disease activity and verify the effectiveness of MS therapies. Gadolinium is a metal ion, or electrically charged molecule, that…

A large U.K. survey assessing the frequency of chickenpox and shingles in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suggests a link between these diseases and MS, researchers report, suggesting their findings could help in decisions regarding immunosuppressive treatments and varicella-zoster virus vaccinations. Results of the study “Prevalence of a history of…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a lower overall lifetime risk of cancer relative to a general population matched by area, age, sex and habits like tobacco use and alcohol consumption, new research reports, suggesting this lesser risk might be due to the nature of MS itself or to disease…

Multiple sclerosis patients with additional diseases, high cholesterol levels or a history of migraine headaches are more likely to experience relapses than other patients, a Canadian study shows. The report, “Comorbidity increases the risk of relapse in multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Neurology. Researchers…

Smoking changes a DNA-based mechanism that influences multiple sclerosis patients’ gene activity, a Swedish study confirms. Another finding was that MS appears to aggravate the harmful effects of smoking. The study dealt with DNA methylation, the process by which the body adds methyl groups to a DNA molecule. Methylation can change…

There is often alarm and confusion about the JC virus, how we get it, and what it means to people with multiple sclerosis. This is my quick primer to help address these questions in a very basic way. What is the JC virus? The first person identified with this…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who quit smoking have better health outcomes than those who continue. Therefore, MS-related costs can be reduced by encouraging smokers to quit. Similar results were observed in MS patients with healthy vitamin D levels, Maura Pugliatti, from the University of Ferrara, in Italy, said Friday in a presentation at the…