Vitamin D deficiency is linked to higher rates of multiple sclerosis. Smoking is also linked to MS, explains neurologist Charles Smith, MD. In this video, he discusses MS prevention.
Preventing Multiple Sclerosis
A way in which to prevent multiple sclerosis (MS) has not yet been identified, although vitamin D deficiency has been linked to higher rates of the condition. In the absence of prevention or a cure, it's important to think in terms of reducing the frequency of relapses and delaying disability. Following doctor recommendations can help reduce the intensity of recurring symptoms, and some research has found that high sun exposure may help delay relapse for children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis.
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Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answeredPostpartum administration of intravenous (IV) steroids significantly reduced the incidence of relapses in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a study conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Of the 52 women in the study, 39 received postpartum IV steroids (methylprednisolone, 1 g), and 13 did not. During the first postpartum trimester,18 percent of women who received IV steroids experienced relapses. The frequency of relapse was about 46 percent in those who did not receive steroids. In the second and third postpartum trimesters, relapse percentage was about 26 percent among patients who received steroids and 23 percent in those who did not.
The retrospective analysis included 50 women with relapsing-remitting MS and two with secondary progressive MS who had experienced one or more pregnancies. Examined data included MS type; number of relapses before, during, and after pregnancy (first, second, and third trimester postpartum); treatment history; breastfeeding duration; and postpartum IV steroid use. Seven patients had at least one relapse during pregnancy. -
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Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answeredThe British Medical Journal reported that children and adolescents who had high sun exposure had a decreased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life. "Sun exposure during childhood and early adolescence seemed to be most effective against MS, and higher sun exposure during winter months, when minimum ultraviolet (UV) radiation and vitamin D exposures occur, was particularly important," researchers wrote. Investigators at the University of Wisconsin -Madison saw similar results in an animal model of MS called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).
Their studies showed that low-sunlight conditions can result in a higher risk of EAE in mice. These findings correlate with the reality that MS is almost nonexistent along the equator, while incidence rates increase as you move farther in each direction. More sunlight near the equator allows the body to produce more vitamin D, which scientists have hypothesized may account for the lower rates of MS there.
Just five to 30 minutes of casual sunlight exposure each day is enough to provide most people with the vitamin D they need, but 40 percent of people with MS may not get any sunlight exposure during an average week. Because clothing covering the skin and sunscreen can affect vitamin D absorption, the benefits of sun exposure have to be balanced with the risks. While some time in the sun may be helpful, burns or long-term exposure may be harmful to your health. UV radiation is believed to contribute to skin cancers, including melanoma. -
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Dr. Louis Rosner , Neurology, answeredCyclosporine (Sandimmune) is an immunosuppressant drug which has been successfully used to prevent rejection in transplant operations. It has also been proved effective in other autoimmune diseases, such as insulin-dependent diabetes. The drug is known to inhibit activity of T cells, so in theory it should be an effective therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). Preliminary studies showed Cyclosporine to have questionable benefit in MS, but because it is such a valuable immunosuppressant in other situations, a twelve-center study funded by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., its manufacturer, is now in progress in the United States and Canada. Although the drug does have a variety of side effects, it does not appear to increase the risk of cancer.