Observations placeholder
Cod liver oil and Multiple Sclerosis
Identifier
012191
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Vitamin D deficiency causes immune suppression as well as muscular and nerve damage. Thus if these people were Vitamin D deficient then cod liver oil will have helped.
A description of the experience
Neuroepidemiology. 2011;37(1):52-7. doi: 10.1159/000329258. Epub 2011 Aug 5. Sun exposure, vitamin D intake and progression to disability among veterans with progressive multiple sclerosis. McDowell TY1, Amr S, Culpepper WJ, Langenberg P, Royal W, Bever C, Bradham DD. 1MS Center of Excellence-East, Baltimore VAMC, University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. tycmcdowell@hotmail.com
BACKGROUND: Early life events have been suggested to influence multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility, and to potentially modulate its clinical course. We assessed vitamin D-related exposures from childhood to disease onset and their associations with MS progression.
METHODS: Among veterans in the Multiple Sclerosis Surveillance Registry, 219 reported having the progressive form and met the inclusion criteria. Participants reported their past sun exposure, vitamin D-related intake and age at disability milestones using the Patient-Determined Disease Steps (PDDS). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine the association between vitamin D-related exposures and time (years) to disability.
RESULTS: Low average sun exposure in the fall/winter before disease onset was associated with an increased risk of progressing to a PDDS score of 8 (hazard ratio, HR: 2.13, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.20-3.78), whereas use of cod liver oil during childhood and adolescence was associated with a reduced risk (HR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.20-0.96).
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that exposure to vitamin D before MS onset might slow disease-related neurodegeneration and thus delay progression to disability among patients with the progressive subtype.
Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.
PMID:21822026