Author | Sreeram Ramagopalan, PhD

February 04, 2013

The worldwide sex ratio of MS has been substantially changing over the last century. Environmental factor/s appear to be at work in a sex-specific manner.

February 01, 2013

A series of studies unequivocally show a true absence of autoimmune disease aggregation in MS patients and their families.

November 19, 2012

The overall decreased cancer prevalence in patients with MS warrants further study and may represent an effect of increased immune surveillance in this autoimmune disease.

October 18, 2012

Venous thromboembolism is twice as likely to develop in patients with multiple sclerosis than in controls. Although the absolute risk of VTE is low in MS patients, thromboprophylaxis may need to be considered.

October 18, 2012

Meta-analyses of all available data have shown that smoking is associated with a 50% increased risk of MS.

September 26, 2012

Population-based studies have firmly established that relatives of patients with MS are at increased risk for the disease.

September 24, 2012

Although genetics risk explains the familial clustering of MS, it cannot fully explain the geographic distribution of MS and the changes in risk that occur with migration. Infections have been suggested as a possible explanation. The most convincing candidate for involvement in MS is the Epstein-Barr virus.

September 11, 2012

Even at disease onset, patients with MS have significantly lower bone mineral density than healthy controls. Close attention needs to be paid to the bone health of these patients.

September 07, 2012

Evidence for a treatment effect of vitamin D in modifying the course of MS is less compelling than evidence of a preventive effect.