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A relative with Multiple Sclerosis?If one in his 20s has a sibling with MS and has been tested with an MRI showing normal results, is it prudent to avoid much intake of things like wheat gluten to avoid potential development in MS later in life?
Could upper GI tract problems such as long-term GERD or Gastritis contribute to possible development of MS?
-CJ
MS generally presents between ages 20 and 40, and while one with a sibling with MS has a greater risk of developing the disease (anywhere from 1 in 100 to 1 in 40, instead of 1 in 750 for the population as a whole), avoiding wheat gluten is not shown to decrease risk of MS. GERD is also unrelated to MS development.
Risk factors include ethnicity, geography where you lived before age 15, heredity, and exposure to some as-of-yet unidentified infectious "trigger."
From the National MS Society's "Sourcebook:"
1. In the United States, there are estimated to be 400,000 people with MS. Although more people are being diagnosed with MS today than in the past, the reasons for this are not clear. Likely contributors, however, include greater awareness of the disease, better access to medical care, and improved diagnostic capabilities. There is no definitive evidence that the rate of MS is generally on the increase.
2. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although it can occur in young children and significantly older adults.
3. Worldwide, MS occurs with much greater frequency in higher latitudes (above 40° latitude) away from the equator, than in lower latitudes, closer to the equator. Even within one geographic area, however, where latitude and climate are fairly consistent, prevalence rates may differ significantly. These differences demonstrate that geographical factors are not the only ones involved.
4. MS is more common among Caucasians (particularly those of northern European ancestry) than other ethnic groups, and is almost unheard of in some populations, such as Inuit, Yakutes, Hutterites, Hungarian Romani, Norwegian Lapps, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maoris. Thus, ethnicity and geography seem to interact in some complex way to impact prevalence figures in different parts of the world.
5. Scientists have long been searching for an infectious agent that might trigger MS. While many different viruses have been suggested, including rabies, herpes simplex virus, measles, corona virus, canine distemper virus, HTLV-1, Epstein-Barr virus, among others, none has yet been confirmed. Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterial agent, has also been suggested but never proven. Although no trigger has yet been identified, most MS experts believe that some infectious agent is involved in initiating the disease process.
6. Migration from one geographic area to another seems to alter a person's risk of developing MS. Studies indicate that immigrants and their descendents tend to take on the risk level—either higher or lower—of the area to which they move. The change in risk, however, may not appear immediately. Those who move before the age of 15 tend to take on the new risk themselves. For those who move after the age of 15, the change in risk level may not appear until the next generation. While underlining the complex relationship between environmental and genetic factors in determining who develops MS, these studies have also provided support for the opinion that MS is caused by early exposure to some environmental trigger in genetically-susceptible individuals.
7. MS is approximately two to three times more common in women than in men, suggesting that hormones may also play a significant role in determining susceptibility to MS.
8. Genetic factors are thought to play a significant role in determining who develops MS. The average person in the United States has about one chance in 750 of developing MS. But close (first-degree) relatives of people with MS, such as children, siblings or non-identical twins, have a higher chance—ranging from one in 100 to one in 40. The identical twin of someone with MS, who shares all the same genes, has a one in four chance of developing the disease. If genes were solely responsible for determining who gets MS, an identical twin of someone with MS would have a 100% chance of developing the disease; the fact that the risk is only 1 in 4 demonstrates that other factors, including geography, ethnicity, and the elusive infectious trigger are likely involved as well.
9. Certain outbreaks or "clusters" of MS have been identified, but the cause and significance of these outbreaks are not known.
-Glutenfreegirl
I am not sure of a connection between MS and gluten free living. Upper GI problems and long time GERD are more likely to be symptoms of untreated Celiac Disease, which is an autoimmune disease like MS. However, CD is not severe like MS and all effects of it can be eliminated by following the Gluten free diet. MS is not so easy. I dont see why the Gluten free die would HURT a patient with MS but I'd certainly speak to a doctor before starting the GF diet.
If you suspect you have Celiac or a relative does (whichi s highly hereditary) you can get blood tested for it and have an endoscopy done to see if u do indeed have Celiac. U need to be eating gluten for the test to be right tho.
Feel free to follow these links or email me for further help. (I know about CD, not MS)
www.csaceliacs.org
www.celiac.com
www.celiac.org
www.celiaccentral.org
-wobbletowalk
I've never heard of a relationship between GERD or Gastritis and MS. But there is research that shows that taking Vitamin D is important, especially when there is a family member with MS. For more information just do a search for Vitamin D and MS.
One other thing to mention is that in the early stages of MS lesions may not show up on MRI.
Good luck and I hope you don't development MS.
Sharon (MSersLife and MSersHealth Yahoo Groups)
Orignal From: A relative with Multiple Sclerosis?
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