Welcome! This blog contains research & information on lifestyle, nutrition and health for those with MS, as well as continuing information on the understanding of the endothelium and heart-brain connection. This blog is informative only--all medical decisions should be discussed with your own physicians.

The posts are searchable---simply type in your topic of interest in the search box at the top left.

Almost all of MS research is initiated and funded by pharmaceutical companies. This maintains the EAE mouse model and the auto-immune paradigm of MS, and continues the 20 billion dollar a year MS treatment industry. But as we learn more about slowed blood flow, gray matter atrophy, and environmental links to MS progression and disability--all things the current drugs do not address--we're discovering more about how to help those with MS.

To learn how this journey began, read my first post from August, 2009. Be well! Joan

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Dr. Fox's and Cleveland Clinic CCSVI study update




July 14, 2011 at 1:52pm

The one year update from the National MS Society on the CCSVI studies did not supply any real hard data. It appears most of the teams are waiting for the 2 year mark to unveil their results.  This is disappointing, because the clock keeps ticking for those who have venous malformations and obstructions.

Dr. Fox's CCSVI study report caught my eye, since I've mentioned CCSVI and the effects of hydration many times on here, especially in relationship to hypovolemia, or low blood flow due to dehydration.
Here is the post where I mentioned the importance of hydration and blood flow.   Highly recommended reading:

I found it interesting that Dr. Fox's team is exploring hydration in relationship to CCSVI---and wondering if he will use hypovolemia as an explanation for CCSVI.

.....the state of hydration of the subject (whether they drank adequate amounts of fluids) could impact results of several of the criteria used to determine CCSVI. They concluded that these complications may help explain the mixed results reported thus far related to CCSVI and MS, and they have added to their aims a study designed to evaluate the impact of hydration on CCSVI assessments.

The reason this is important is that we know not everyone who has CCSVI is dehydrated.  My husband always drank adequate fluids, and he had two severely deformed jugular veins.  But adequate hydration IS essential for good bloodflow.

I also found another aspect of Dr. Fox's study interesting, in that Dr. Gabbiani has studied biopsies of internal jugular veins taken from living people with CCSVI, and found a collagen shift in the jugular vein tissue.  Wondering what Dr. Fox's team will find from autopsy tissue.  Looks like we'll find out in October 2011--which is sooner than the 2 year mark.

Dr. Fox’s team has also gathered autopsy specimens of venous tissue from 9 MS tissue donors and 6 donors who did not have MS. The team first had to develop and standardize techniques for studying these specimens for signs of CCSVI. They are analyzing their data and have submitted abstracts reporting preliminary findings related to this pathology study and their scanning results for consideration at the international ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS) meeting in October 2011. 

I'm going to be a glass half full gal today, and say that I am hopeful for these studies and all that we can learn to help pwMS and pwCCSVI.
Joan


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