The Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) has issued new recommendations about how people with MS should adjust their daily lives because of the coronavirus pandemic. The MSIF, a network of national MS societies from around the world, first issued COVID-19 recommendations last spring. But much has been learned…

A genetic variant may make depression more likely in certain people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than others, a genome-wide study in patients indicates. The study, “Depression in multiple sclerosis patients associated with risk variant near NEGR1,” was published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Depression is characterized by…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) show a high occurrence of comorbidities — two diseases occurring in one person at the same time — with psychiatric and cardiovascular diseases being the most common, a new study reports. Having another co-existing disorder was found to have an impact on MS…

Older age at disease-modifying therapy (DMT) discontinuation is the main predictive factor of sustained “no evidence of disease activity” (NEDA) in people starting DMT immediately after being diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), according to a study in Austria. In particular, patients discontinuing DMT at age 45 or…

Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) recover more quickly and “significantly better” from relapses than do adults — patients with disease onset at age 18 or older, researchers reported. The study, “Improved relapse recovery in paediatric compared to adult multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Brain. Relapses and…

Genetic variants may contribute to increased levels of antibodies against proteins of the Epstein-Barr virus — a known environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) — in MS patients and their siblings, a study suggests. The study, “EBNA-1 titer gradient in families with multiple sclerosis indicates a…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have a greater risk of infections, particularly urinary and kidney infections, around the time of their diagnosis, compared with individuals without MS, a large Swedish population-based study found. Rates of serious and non-serious infections, as well as infections caused by bacteria, virus, and fungus, also…

Cigarette smoking and an Epstein–Barr virus infection together represent a significant risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that at least one path to this disease involves two factors working synergistically, a study reports. The study, “Smoking and Epstein–Barr virus infection in multiple sclerosis development,” was published…

Clinical evaluation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients should include the assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) alongside neurological ones, according to a recent study. The study, “Lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis: A post-void residual analysis of 501 cases,” was published in…

A variant of the HLA-DPB1 gene — called HLA-DPB1*04 — appears to protect people from developing multiple sclerosis (MS) either in childhood or as adults, a study from Greece suggests.

Exposure to disease-modifying therapies does not increase multiple sclerosis (MS) patients’ risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19, according to a registry-based study. However, MS patients who are older, obese, or have severe neurological impairments have a greater risk of developing a severe form of the disease. Findings…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) exert increased caution with their walking pattern and take smaller steps overall, a study shows. These findings could contribute to the development of better walking rehabilitation programs and decrease the risk of falls. The study, “Influence of Multiple Sclerosis on Dynamic…

A likelihood of depression is two to three times higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S. and U.K. than in similar groups of people in these countries without the disease, a study reported. This risk was also “most evident in the first five years after MS diagnosis” among…

People in the United Kingdom (U.K.) with multiple sclerosis (MS) have an increased risk of vascular disease affecting the heart and brain that is not accounted for by traditional disease risk factors, a large, population-based study reports.  The study, “Evaluating the Risk of Macrovascular Events and…

I canceled my April blood draw. The protocol for Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) requires lab work each month because the treatment can have serious side effects. But I spoke with my neurologist and we decided that I could skip it. Blame it on COVID-19. My legs are stiffer than they were two…

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, “Lipoprotein profiling in early…

Ethnicity does not seem to have an influence on the degree of cognitive impairment seen in patients at the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), a U.S.-based study suggests. The study, “Race, ethnicity, and cognition in persons newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the…

Older age, a greater number of health conditions, and prior hospital admissions are associated with more hospitalizations due to all causes among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, MS-related hospitalizations decrease as patients age, and are less frequent among women, according to a study analyzing more than two decades…

The risk of invasive cancer may be slightly higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Gilenya (fingolimod) compared with those treated with rituximab, and with people from the general population, a Swedish study suggests. The study, “Cancer Risk for Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Rituximab…

A new test involving a virtual reality simulation was able to detect balance issues in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially allowing doctors to identify whether a patient is at risk of falling despite having no apparent problems with walking, according to new research. The results of the study,…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients switching from Tysabri (natalizumab) to other disease-modifying therapies may have an increased risk of disease activity, though the risk is lower if the switch is limited to three months, a study found. The results were published in an article, “Effect of…

Rituximab is barely detected in breast milk of women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who took the therapy while breastfeeding their child, small study shows. Results suggest that women with RRMS can continue with a disease-modifying treatment while breastfeeding. The study “Minimal breast milk transfer of…

Having other health conditions, or comorbidities, along with multiple sclerosis (MS) does not increase a person’s risk of being hospitalized due to MS-specific symptoms, although it does raise the rate of all-cause hospital admissions, a study found.  The finding was described…

Interaction between various Epstein-Barr virus traits and the composition of certain genes affects the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The study, “The interaction of Multiple Sclerosis risk loci with Epstein-Barr virus phenotypes implicates the virus in pathogenesis,” was published in the journal…

People living close to major roads or highways are at a greater risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a database study of people in metropolitan Vancouver reports. Parks and other green spaces in urban areas that might lower exposure to air pollutants did not affect a person’s overall risk of developing MS,…

Genetic variations that increase body mass index (BMI) in childhood are associated with a higher risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) regardless of a person’s vitamin D levels, a study found. The study, “BMI and low vitamin D are causal factors for multiple sclerosis,” was published in…

Despite the fact that being obese or overweight may worsen multiple sclerosis (MS) prognosis, people with the neurodegenerative disease are not more likely to adopt weight loss diets, a small study suggests. The study, “Obesity, dieting, and multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related…

A common mutation in the fat-mass obesity (FTO) gene is associated with obesity and increased disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a Kuwaiti study. The data, which showed no link between this mutation and an increased risk of MS, highlights the need for more studies about…

A large retrospective study suggests that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker — called “brain atrophied T2 lesion volume” — could help predict the timing of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. According to the study, this marker was the only MRI parameter capable of predicting disease progression, compared with other…

A specific mutation in the FOXP3 gene, one already linked to multiple sclerosis in the Iranian population, was now also seen to increase the risk of MS in Brazilian women, a study reports. This mutation is also associated with higher-than-normal levels of TGF-β1, an anti-inflammatory molecule, a finding that requires…