Your Health

Reducing Your Risk of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

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At this time, there are no guidelines for the prevention of multiple sclerosis (MS). But there are some medicines and supplements being studied. For example, the drug interferon beta may reduce the chance of a relapse or slow the progression of MS.
Researchers are also investigating whether vitamin D has a role in the development of MS. Some studies have found that people with low vitamin D intake had a higher risk of MS. This is an area that is still being studied. If you are concerned about your vitamin D level, talk to your doctor, who can test your blood. Vitamin D can be found in foods like cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, and vitamin-D fortified milk. You can also get vitamin D by spending time in natural sunlight, which triggers your body to go through a process to produce the vitamin.

References

Calvagna M. Vitamin D. EBSCO Health Library website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/healthLibrary/ . Updated April 5, 2011. Accessed August 31, 2012.

Multiple sclerosis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated August 10, 2012. Accessed August 31, 2012.

Multiple Sclerosis Society. News item. Multiple Sclerosis Society website. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=2568 . Accessed August 31, 2012.

Multiple Sclerosis. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multiple%5Fsclerosis/multiple%5Fsclerosis.htm . Accessed August 31, 2012.

Nolan D, et al. Contributions of vitamin D response elements and HLA promoters to multiple sclerosis risk. Neurology. 2012;July 11.

About MS. National Multiple Sclerosis Society website. Available at: http://nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/treatments/index.aspx . Accessed August 31, 2012.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD
  • Review Date: 10/2012 -
  • Update Date: 10/11/2012 -

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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