Category Archives: MS Treatment

Mar 19, 2014 8:38am Cholesterol-busting statins show promise for multiple sclerosis. (Image credit: Eric Audras/Getty Images) By Neha Sharma, D.O. Cholesterol-busting statins may have an unexpected benefit for patients with multiple sclerosis, a new study found. Researchers in the U.K. studied 140 patients diagnosed with the most severe form of the disease, known as secondary progressive MS.They found that high doses of statins about double the average amount that patients take to keep their cholesterol levels in check reduced the rate of brain shrinkage in these patients. I see hundreds of patients with secondary progressive MS in my clinic, said Dr. Jeremy Chataway, a neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and lead author of the study, published Tuesday in The Lancet. These patients are physically disabled and have no treatment,Chataway added, calling the studyan exciting first step. Learn more aboutmultiple sclerosis. Statin treatment led to a 43 percent reduction in the rate of brain shrinkage in the patients in the study, according to Chataway. The hope is that putting the brakes on this shrinkage will slow the progression toward physical disability. Neurology experts not involved with the research said the new findings are promising but … Continue reading →

Inexpensive statins new hope to MS sufferers Thursday, March 20, 2014 An inexpensive cholesterol- lowering pill may offer new hope to patients with progressing multiple sclerosis (MS), research suggests. By John von Radowitz Patients in the MS trial were randomly assigned to treatment with either an 80mg dose of the drug or a dummy placebo pill. All 140 participants had secondary progressive MS, a form of the disease marked by worsening symptoms and increased disability. Over a period of two years, patients treated with simvastatin suffered 43% less brain shrinkage than those given the placebo. The patients also achieved significantly better scores in movement tests and questionnaire-based disability assessments. Previous research has linked increased brain wasting due to MS with greater disability. Study co-author Dr Richard Nicholas, from Imperial College London, said: At the moment, we dont have anything that can stop patients from becoming more disabled once MS reaches the progressive phase. See the original post here: Inexpensive statins new hope to MS sufferers … Continue reading →

Jodi Rothman has been raising money to help treat and cure multiple sclerosis since her daughter Alie was diagnosed at 14. Now Alie's 22 and in law school at the University of Miami. She's about to launch her nonprofit for children with MS who can't afford treatment, on a national level. And this year, the family team in her name hopes to raise $90,000 to $100,000 in Walk MS in Boca on Sunday, and another $50,000 or so at two other walks in the state, said Jodi Rothman, of western Delray Beach, who has been the walk's chairwoman for three years. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. and the UAIC Boca Raton Walk MS presented by Genzyme starts at 9 a.m. at the Boca Corporate Center & Campus, 500 T-Rex Ave. The chapter expects a turnout of at least 600 people and raised nearly $300,000 last year. Supporters can register or volunteer at mswalksouthflorida.org or call 800-344-4867. A $50 fundraising goal for adults and $25 for students 13 to 17 is required; walk participants who raise at least $100 will receive a T-shirt and additional prize levels. "South Florida residents demonstrate support for those living with multiple sclerosis by raising more … Continue reading →

March 19, 2014 Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online At first, multiple sclerosis is recognized by sporadic neurological symptoms a condition called relapsing-remitting MS. Within a decade or so, greater than 50 percent of patients acquire secondary progressive MS, a continuous deterioration of symptoms and boost in disability. Currently, there are no approved drugs for treating this later stage of the disease. However, a newly published study in the UK medical journal The Lancet has shown surprising evidence of a promising treatment for this second phase of MS cholesterol-lowering statins. At the moment, we dont have anything that can stop patients from becoming more disabled once MS reaches the progressive phase, said study author Dr. Richard Nicholas, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London. Discovering that statins can help slow that deterioration is quite a surprise. This is a promising finding, particularly as statins are already cheap and widely used. Previous studies have shown statins to have an anti-inflammatory and protective effect on the nervous system. A preliminary clinical study of simvastatin in individuals with early-stage MS revealed fewer brain lesions, indicating an impact on the underlying disease process. However, following trials have had inconsistent results. In … Continue reading →

A cheap cholesterol-lowering drug might be a potential new treatment for those with secondary progressive and untreatable multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in the journal Lancet. Researchers in the United Kingdom tested Simvastatin, a generic pill known as a "statin," in 140 patients with secondary progressive MS. No current drugs work on this type of MS, which is marked by steadily worsening symptoms and disability. Over two years of study, the researchers found those on daily doses of the cholesterol-lowering drug had a 43 per cent lower rate of brain shrinkage than those on placebo. Over a typical year, the brain shrinks by about .6 per cent in those with secondary progressive MS. Those on the Simvastatin had a brain atrophy rate of .3 per cent a year, according to Dr. Jeremy Chataway of University College London Hospitals. "We feel that atrophy is very important in driving neurological disability," Dr. Chataway wrote in an email to CTV News. Doctors also say the saw small improvements in disability tests, and added that the drug was safe and well tolerated. But the statins didnt affect brain lesions or relapse rates. Professor John Greenwood at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, who … Continue reading →

Walk MS: Huntsville luncheon attendees were asked to raise their hands if they or someone they know are affected by Multiple Sclerosis. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Registration is now open for Walk MS: Huntsville, an annual fundraising event that helps support programs and services for the more than 6,300 families affected by multiple sclerosis in Alabama and Mississippi. The local chapter held akickstarter luncheon today at the Best Western Motel in Madison to get folks fired up about raising money and awareness for MS research and advocacy. The first good sign of things to come: the dining room was filled to capacity with those affected by MS along with their family members and friends. When people come and participate in the walk theyre actually helping hundreds of thousands of people across the United States, says Heath Campbell who has participated in the local MS walk every year since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998. While walkers are setting personal fundraising goals, scientists at Huntsvilles HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology are busy working on new therapies for MS. It is fantastic that there are treatments available - when I was diagnosed there were 3 treatments and two years before that there … Continue reading →

Hundreds came out to Heritage Park Saturday morning to support loved ones diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and raise money for a cure by participating in the Cullman MS Walk. The event brought out those who suffer from the disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. It also brought out friends and family members who walked in honor of mothers, wives, sisters, aunts and other friends and relatives. Cullman resident Lori Harris, who was diagnosed with MS seven years ago, has participated in such MS walks in the past. On Saturday, she was surrounded by family who were walking along with her in support. My two nieces, my boyfriend, my mother and brother are all here with me today, said Harris. Harris is a patient of Cullman neurologist Dr. Christopher LaGanke who specializes in treatment for those suffering with MS. LaGanke has been a major force in raising money for the National MS Society and pursuing medical trials to find a cure. He started the Joanne P. LaGanke MS Center to better help his patients. Harris and her family were walking for the Dr. Lanke- … Continue reading →

Lisa Mullens former employer is said to have commented, when she was telling clients of her pregnancy: Yes, and to be honest, lads, I am not too happy about this. She was meant to stop after her first two . . . A financial controller demoted to a debt collector role after taking maternity leave has been awarded 80,000 by the Equality Tribunal. Lisa Mullen had been subjected to a range of unlawful treatment from the time she told BCon Communications Ltd she was pregnant, the tribunal found. Ms Mullen told the tribunal that when, in November 2009, she informed her employer, a Mr W, of her pregnancy, he responded: Jesus Lisa, you dont hang around. She was extremely upset by this, as she had had a miscarriage the previous July, of which he was aware. Two weeks after this incident, Ms Mullen, who already had two children, said she was telling clients of her pregnancy when Mr W said: Yes, and to be honest, lads, I am not too happy about this. She was meant to stop after her first two and now I have been informed that she is having a third. Ms Mullen was involved in the … Continue reading →

Feb 25, 2014 - MS Treatment Options, Relapses, Adherence, Switching Meds, Video-Recorded on February 25, 2014 MS Treatment Options, Relapses, Adherence, Switching Meds, Symptom Management Presented by: Brian Steingo, MD and Happi... By: MSViewsandNews … Continue reading →

Health News of Friday, 14 March 2014 Source: Graphic Online The Minister of Health, Ms. Sherry Ayittey, has said that there are more than 8,000 renal failure patients in Ghana now. Out of the number, less than 600 are receiving serious treatment because of the high cost and the lack of requisite equipment. Ms. Ayittey made this known at the World Kidney Day celebration in Accra yesterday. The event was organised by the Health Education On Wheels (HEOW), a non-governmental organisation, on the theme Chronic kidney disease and ageing. The HEOW is collaborating with the Police Service to establish a dialysis centre at the Ghana Police Hospital. World Kidney Day is celebrated on the second Thursday of March every year and the occasion is always used to increase awareness on the importance of kidneys and how to keep them healthy. Speaking at the event, Ms. Ayittey said chronic kidney diseases could develop at any age. In an attempt to increase accessibility to renal centres, Ms. Ayittey said the Ministry of Health would soon establish dialysis centres in some selected areas in the country. A urology centre, she said, would also be established at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in … Continue reading →