Month: February 2021

COVID 19 & MS This new Brazilian  study (11,560 people with MS) evaluated  the incidence, clinical outcome, and impact of COVID-19. The results:  the incidence of COVID-19 in  participants with MS was not different from those observed for the general population. The majority (87% ) were mild cases. Most of them were on  MS disease-modifying treatment and continued the treatment during the pandemic.  Diet & Gut Microbiota  This new study from Australia assessed the benefits of a healthy diet in participants with MS. The conclusion:  A healthier diet score was associated with better mental, physical and total quality of life, and lower depression, and pain scores, and fewer cognition, vision and bowel symptoms. Higher reported fibre, fruit, vegetable and healthy fat scores were positively associated with most health outcomes.  Gut microbiome as a therapeutic target for MS. This study found that  supplementation with  the short fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate has a protective effect against CNS autoimmunity in animal models.  I wrote about gut microbiome and MS here.  Obesity, inflammation and autoimmunity. Previous studies found that obesity induces a chronic low‐grade inflammatory state. There is a correlation between obesity and higher prevalence, or worse prognosis, of several autoimmune diseases including: MS, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory bowel diseases, type‐1‐diabetes and  psoriasis. This new study further supports this idea, showing that  leptin promotes autoreactive T‐cell proliferation and proinflammatory cytokine secretion,...