WEDNESDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that pregnancy may decrease women's risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

"Even one pregnancy was associated with nearly a halving of risk [of developing MS symptoms]," said study author Anne-Louise Ponsonby, head of the environmental and genetic epidemiology and research group at Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. The team also found that women who were pregnant two or more times had only one-quarter of the risk of developing MS symptoms as those who were never pregnant.

The study was published online March 7 in the journal Neurology.

Previous research has found that pregnancy in women who already have MS -- an autoimmune disorder -- is linked with lower rates of relapse.

Ponsonby's team found an association between pregnancy and a lower risk of MS symptoms, not a direct cause-and-effect link. They say, however, that this association may help explain why the incidence of MS in women has inched up over the past few decades, as more women delay pregnancy or have fewer babies or none at all.

The researchers evaluated information on 282 Australian men and women, aged 18 to 59, who had MS symptoms -- which can include fatigue, numbness, balance or walking problems -- but had not been diagnosed with the disease. The researchers looked at both the number of live births and pregnancies lasting at least 20 weeks in the women. They also recorded the number of children born to men. They compared those statistics to 542 men and women without MS symptoms.

No link was found between the number of children men had and their risk of MS symptoms. There was an association with women, however: the risk of developing MS symptoms decreased as the number of pregnancies increased.

The researchers couldn't say exactly why pregnancy may lower MS risk, but they speculated it could be the increase in estrogen during pregnancy or the effect pregnancy has on inflammatory genes involved in MS.

The study was funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and other organizations.

Women are more likely than men to develop MS. Having a close relative with MS also increases your risk. About 400,000 people in the United States have MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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Pregnancy May Protect Against MS, Study Says

Study: Multiple Sclerosis Risk May Drop by 50% After First Pregnancy

By Brenda Goodman, MA WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

March 7, 2012 -- Pregnancy appears to play a strong role in whether or not a woman may develop the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study.

The study involved more than 800 women between the ages of 18 and 60. Nearly 300 of them had experienced a first episode of MS symptoms. The other women were healthy and were included for comparison.

Women in the study with at least one child had about half the risk of early MS symptoms compared to women without children. And that risk appeared to drop with each additional child. Women with three children had a 75% lower risk of early MS symptoms compared to women without children. In women with five or more children, risk of early symptoms was slashed by 94%.

Those benefits remained even after researchers accounted for other factors associated with the likelihood of developing MS, like level of education, smoking, skin damage and sun exposure, and certain susceptibility genes.

Researchers say they're pretty sure that it is something about pregnancy -- rather than being a parent or raising children -- that's protective, because they saw no difference in men.

The study is published in the journal Neurology.

Although it is already known that a woman with MS may see a decrease in her symptoms while pregnant, other large studies have not seen an association between pregnancies and MS. But researchers think that may have something to do with when women were included in the studies.

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Past Pregnancies May Protect Against MS

RAMS preliminaries successful

The competition ends a month of events fundraising for multiple sclerosis.

By Katie Yaeger

Published Feb. 24, 2012

Justin Pierce/Staff Photographer

Members of Alpha Phi perform Wednesday for the preliminaries of the Rockin' Against Multiple Sclerosis lip-syncing competition at The Blue Note. The finals for the competition will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at The Blue Note.

Cait Campbell/Graphic Designer

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Elaborate costumes, carefully choreographed dancing and dramatic lip-syncing annually bring MU students together for a charitable cause: the Rockin' Against Multiple Sclerosis Rock-It lip-sync competition.

During the past 18 years, RAMS has evolved into the largest on-campus philanthropy at MU. The organization raises money for supplies for multiple sclerosis patients in the mid-Missouri area and works closely with patients in the Columbia community.

"That's one of my favorite parts about it," RAMS co-director Alex Prestel said. "It's why I keep coming back every year and why they can't get rid of me. Because I love Mizzou, but I love Columbia just as much, and this really ties the campus and the community together, which I think is one of the many unique aspects of RAMS."

Members assist multiple sclerosis patients with small jobs year-round, RAMS co-director Sarah Bowman said.

"(Wednesday), we had a few steer-co members help a woman who has MS," Bowman said. "We cleaned her car, waxed it, hung a mirror in her house and she could not stop thanking us. We made her day."

Each February, RAMS hosts a series of events at MU and around Columbia in which campus organizations participate, earning points for each activity, according to the RAMS website. Money raised from each event is donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Institute and directly benefits patients in mid-Missouri. Events include Comedy Night, Jail-N-Bail and Cup Night.

Rock-It, the month's final event, showcases the performing and lip-syncing talents of participating organizations as well as the talents of smaller in-between-acts. Originally held at Midway, the competition has been held at The Blue Note for at least five years.

"The Blue Note is a great atmosphere," Bowman said. "I love coming and seeing it packed. It's so cool to see the excitement when The Blue Note comes to life."

This year, nine Interfraternity Council chapters and 12 Panhellenic Association chapters competed in Tuesday and Wednesday night's preliminary round. Acts in between consisted of individuals and small groups, with the Mizzou Competitive Dance Team dancing to a Top 40 mash-up Tuesday and a cappella group Mizzou Forte singing Wednesday.

Although the competing acts have historically been mostly Greek Life chapters, all organizations are welcome and encouraged to compete, Bowman said.

"We like to try to involve as much of campus as possible, not stopping with the Greek community," she said.

The show might be a competition, but many don't place much importance on the competitive aspect, Prestel said.

"It's not about the competition," Prestel said. "It's about having a great time with each other, enjoying entertaining acts and coming together to fight for such a great cause."

Chapters incorporated their personalities and senses of humor into each act to entertain full houses Tuesday and Wednesday night. Each performance had a theme.

Many acts included Top 40 hits in their set lists. Chi Omega channeled Lady Gaga and Britney Spears in "Getting Down with Divas," Delta Gamma danced to songs such as Ludacris' "My Chick Bad" during "Criminals" and Zeta Tau Alpha's "Zeta Swag" featured rap songs, ending with a dancer dressed as Lil Wayne throwing paper money at the audience.

Others channeled past music eras. Alpha Gamma Rho's "Boy Band Dance-off" featured songs by '90s stars *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, Pi Kappa Alpha's "One Hit Blunders" featured '80s and '90s songs from forgotten artists and Alpha Delta Pi's "Ladies Night Out with ADPi" featured selections by Kool & The Gang and The Weather Girls.

Still others centered around humor. Alpha Gamma Sigma's "The Seductive Sigmas" had the Grim Reaper in the background during the late Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," Delta Tau Delta's "The 2012 Grammys" imitated the music video of Dave Chappelle's "Piss on You" and "The Lonely Phi Kaps Part II" featured the parody "Frat Boy Swag" and reenacted parts of the YouTube video "We Are Mizzou."

Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, FarmHouse, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Chi Omega, Pi Beta Phi, Alpha Phi, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta will compete in the final round 7 p.m. Friday at The Blue Note, according to the organization's Twitter account.

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RAMS preliminaries successful

Women who have been pregnant two or more times had a reduced risk of developing the disease, study finds. (Paul Sakuma / Associated Press)

March 7, 2012, 1:17 p.m.

Pregnancy is known to cause a remission in symptoms of multiple sclerosis in women who have MS prior to becoming pregnant. Now a study has found that multiple pregnancies may help prevent MS from ever developing.

The study, published online Wednesday in the journal Neurology, reviewed information on 282 men and women who received a diagnosis of central nervous demyelination. That's a condition that reflects early symptoms of MS but falls short of an actual MS diagnosis. The researchers compared those people to 542 healthy men and women.

They found that women who have been pregnant two or more times had a reduced risk of developing the disease. Women who had five or more pregnancies had one-twentieth the risk of developing MS compared with women who were never pregnant. There was no effect on men regarding their number of offspring and onset of the disease.

Rates of MS have increased over the last several decades. This increase could reflect the fact that women are having fewer children, said the lead author of the study, Anne-Louise Ponsonby of Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. It's not clear what it is about pregnancy that protects against MS or causes its temporary remission. It's likely that hormones play a role, and studies are underway looking at estrogen as a treatment for the illness. It's also possible that immune changes that take place during pregnancy alter symptoms of the disease as well as the risk of developing it.

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Pregnancy seems to protect against multiple sclerosis

Contributed

The City of Sanger is coordinating with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to recognize March 12 18 as MS Awareness Week.

The local MS chapter and volunteers will decorate downtown Sanger with orange colored ribbons on March 11 and will take them down on March 19.

If you would like to get involved contact Ana Hernandez at 439-2154 or seintern@nmss.org.

Symptoms may be mild (numbness in the limbs) or severe (paralysis, loss of vision). The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving hope to people affected by the disease. For more information about MS visit http://www.nationalMSsociety.org/cal.

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of thesangerherald.com .

You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.

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Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week activities in Sanger

17-01-2012 17:53 Overdue thank you and some reflections over the last 18 months without MS symptoms, which have reared their ugly heads 🙂 just in time to save my life once again.

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How multiple sclerosis killed me and LOVE brought me back to life.. - Video

02-01-2012 02:03 msrelief.com Linda Grace Cox ~I am walking about the same as I was last month. I'm doing just like Montel suggests, eat well, sleep enough, exercise, take meds and supplements regularly and I'm feeling great! I'm working hard and looking forward to being able to walk again!

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Repair MS ~ Jan. 2012 Update ~ Montel Williams - Video

30-08-2011 11:25 http://www.spreadmshope.com ... http://www.facebook.com As a last-ditch effort to slow the rapid progression of his multiple sclerosis, Dave Bexfield enrolled in an NIH-sponsored clinical trial of an aggressive treatment: a bone marrow stem cell transplant. The risky but potentially groundbreaking treatment performed in March 2010 required over a month of testing, three weeks in the hospital, and intensive rehabilitation. Presbyterian Healthcare denied every portion of the treatment, even when presented with compelling evidence of its likely benefits—opting instead to provide Dave with a wheelchair. To date, a year and a half post transplant, Dave's improvements have been nothing short of breathtaking. Donate. Speak out. Spread hope. Spread hope like fire.

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Multiple Sclerosis, Stem Cells, and Hope, Part 2 - Video

06-02-2012 14:26 The Treatment and Management of MS Exacerbations - a recorded version of a live webinar held on 2/2/2012 from the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA). Speaker: Ben Thrower, MD Medical Director, MS Institute at the Shepherd Center - Atlanta, GA

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The Treatment and Management of MS Exacerbations - Video

19-01-2012 19:53 A project i did for my Biology class LoL it's about Multiple Sclerosis and the song used is Strobe (club edit) by Deadmau5 i dont own the song.

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MS Biology Project - Video

01-12-2011 17:56 After 20+ years with Multiple Sclerosis, I've seen multiple manifestations of the disease in my own body but this one takes the cake. Ear, top and bottom lip swelling when in aggravating, stressful or intense emotional situations arise. Seriously, this one tops them all!

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So Signs Of Multiple Sclerosis Under Stress 12012011 - Video

17-10-2011 14:37 In this video, Dr. Ben Thrower discusses what MS is. Dr. Thrower is a neurologist and serves as the Medical Director of the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

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MS: The Basics - What is Multiple Sclerosis? - Video

Case Study 1 - We first hear from Susie Cornell, a nutritionist and physical therapist who both suffers from Multiple Sclerosis herself and has pioneered a combination of nutrition and specialist exercises to manage the condition. Case Study 2 - Marianne has had mild MS for about thirteen years and has tried several different complementary therapies.

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The Alternative - MultipleSclerosis (MS) - Video

Patients improve their walk with Virtual Reality goggles

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Multiple Sclerosis Goggles - Video

29-10-2010 11:52 Dean M. Wingerchuk, MD, professor of Neurology, at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, provides an overview of multiple sclerosis treatment and new therapies.

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Multiple Sclerosis Treatment - Mayo Clinic - Video

Maligned molecule found to have beneficial anti-inflammatory effect

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 05:43 EST, 3 August 2012 | UPDATED: 06:11 EST, 3 August 2012

A molecule that causes Alzheimers disease could reverse paralysis caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), a study has found.

The much-maligned molecule, known as A-beta, has until now been known as the chief culprit behind Alzheimers.

But it is also found in multiple-sclerosis lesions, which occur when immune cells invade the brain and spinal cord and attack the insulating coatings of nerve cells.

The nerve signals then get mixed up leading to blindness, loss of muscle control and difficulties with speech, thought and attention.

A woman with multiple sclerosis: The progressive condition attacks the nerve cells and over time can leave sufferers wheel-chair bound

Scientists from Stanford University in the United States wanted to investigate the role the molecule played in MS.

They used a mouse model that mimics several features of the disease - including the autoimmune attack on myelinated sections of the brain. They then injected A-beta into the rodents belly.

Original post:
MS hope: Alzheimer's disease molecule can actually REVERSE multiple sclerosis, say scientists after shock discovery

A new drug could help treat the debilitating symptoms of early stage multiple sclerosis, according to latest research released on Thursday. (Oct

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Breakthrough Multiple Sclerosis Treatment? - Video

RACINE An alumni basketball tournament fundraiser for Jermaine Sheppard, a 30-year-old Racine native who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, will be held at 6 p.m. July 21 at the George Bray Center, 924 Center St. Admission is $2.

Alumni from Park and Horlick high schools will compete, and then alumni from St. Catherines and Case high schools will compete. Caron Butler, a small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers and a Racine native, will be in attendance.

Sheppard and the Rev. Walter Hermanns, a pastor emeritus at Holy Communion Lutheran Church who has also been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, will share their stories as a way to encourage others with chronic illness.

A raffle will be held. Tickets will cost $2.

Proceeds from the raffle and a portion of the proceeds from admission will go to Sheppard to help him pay for medical bills.

Donations can also be made to the Jermaine Sheppard Benefit Fund at Educators Credit Union, 1400 Newman Road.

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Alumni basketball fundraiser for man with multiple sclerosis

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Five people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been selected from nearly 1,200 entries to receive one-on-one support as they set out to overcome a challenge that affects their everyday life. Their journeys will be chronicled as part of Everyday Matters, a first-of-its kind program that draws on practical and scientific applications of positive psychology to engage and inspire those living with or affected by MS.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/55567-everyday-matters-multiple-sclerosis/

Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes people thrive. Research in this field has found a strong connection between an individual's mindset, social support system, and well-being. Using positive psychology, these individuals will address key aspects of their lives: wellness, work/education, relationships, family, and empowerment. These five topics represent aspects of life that matter most to the MS community, according to a June 2012 poll by the National MS Society.

"We've only just launched and are already thrilled by the level of interest Everyday Matters has received from the community," said National MS Society President and CEO Cyndi Zagieboylo. "This interest underscores the desire people have to define how they want to live their lives, addressing aspects that are most central to who they are as individuals, rather than being defined by their MS."

Guiding Everyday Matters is renowned positive psychology expert Shawn Achor, author of the bestselling book, The Happiness Advantage. "Our hope is to empower the MS community through simple techniques and inspiring stories," said Shawn. "Each of these individuals brings their own background, experience and perspective to the program. We can all learn from them as they practice new strategies for approaching unique yet relatable goals."

The following individuals will help to illustrate how positive psychology can help make a difference in the everyday lives of people living with MS:

Michelle Clos, a life coach certified by the International Coach Federation who is living with MS, has personally benefited from positive psychology and will work hand-in-hand with these individuals through personalized coaching sessions designed with their unique goals in mind.

"I know first-hand that 'staying positive' can become that much more challenging after being diagnosed with a chronic and unpredictable disease like MS," said Michelle. "Yet, I also know that it is possible. I have so much confidence in these five individuals and look forward to working with them each week toward achieving their personal goals, and showing the entire MS community what we can accomplish."

Each participant's journey is being chronicled in a video series produced by Kristen Adams, an Emmy-award winning producer living with MS, as well as through personal text, video, and photo journals showcased on http://www.everydayMSmatters.org. The site also offers toolkits and other resources related to positive psychology, wellness, work/education, relationships, family, and empowerment.

Everyday Matters is a joint program developed by the National MS Society and Genzyme, a Sanofi Company.

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"Everyday Matters" Brings Unique Resources to People Affected by Multiple Sclerosis

Published: Aug. 1, 2012 at 11:58 PM

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said a type of immune cell that contributes to multiple sclerosis may help in the development of new drugs to treat autoimmune disorders.

Dr. Bibiana Bielekova, an investigator at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, said the discovery helps define the effects of one of the newest drugs -- daclizumab -- under investigation for treating MS.

Clinical trials have shown daclizumab appears to help quiet the autoimmune response in MS patients, but its precise effects on the legions of cells that make up the immune system are not fully understood, Beilokova said.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed one effect of daclizumab is to thin the ranks of lymphoid tissue inducer cells, which are known to promote the development of lymph nodes and related tissues during fetal life, although their role during adulthood has been unclear.

The study is the first to implicate lymphoid tissue inducer cells in any human autoimmune disorder, Bielekova said.

"While further study is required to confirm the role of lymphoid tissue inducer cells in autoimmunity, our results point to the cells as a promising target for the development of new drugs to treat autoimmune disorders," Bielekova said in a statement.

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Unique cell type in multiple sclerosis