MS misconceptions

November 6, 2004

MS misconceptions

/PPVStory/?DENIED=1

By PAUL O'CONNOR

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 Page - A18 (300 words) Pay Per View

MS Clinic director, St. 's Hospital, University of Toronto

Print this Article Print this Article

Toronto -- In the interest of accuracy, and on behalf of the MS

patients I care for on a daily basis, I would like to clear up some

misunderstandings that will likely arise from the article A Promising

Rx For MS (Oct. 2).

While I am sympathetic to the notion that diet and even more

particularly vitamin D may have something to do with the cause or cure

of multiple sclerosis, it needs to be said that there is not one shred

of direct clinical trial evidence strongly in favour of this idea.

The article relies on an anecdote -- the case of Ashton Embry's son,

who, at 18 developed neurological symptoms and has been in clinical

remission since then. Aside from the fact that this is not uncommon,

especially in early MS, we are told that the son has not seen a

neurologist, or presumably had an MRI scan, in eight years, so whether

he is truly in remission is unknown .

The observations related to the geographic distribution of the disease

and the possible contribution of diet did not originate with Mr.

Embry's " dogged research, " contrary to the impression left by the

article. This painstaking research was performed by many others.

I advise my patients that if they wish to try a diet they are most

welcome to do so, as it might help. In practice, most find a diet free

of gluten, dairy products and eggs too rigorous to endure. More

popular is a low-saturated-fat diet that has also had its proponents

over the years.

I am strongly in favour of fostering a hopeful attitude in my MS

patients. Several promising new treatments are coming and there is

more research under way than ever before. Even today, there is much

that can be done for most patients.

/PPVStory/?DENIED

Recommended Posts