Today’s Daily Dose comes from the current issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers found, after following over 238 thousand women over the course of 40 years, that women who had a BMI of 30 or greater at the age of 18 had more than twice the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), compared to women with a BMI between 18.5 and 20.9. “Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS,” said study author Kassandra Munger, ScD, of the Harvard School of Public Health. The study authors theorize the link between obesity and MS may be that obese women tend to have lower vitamin D levels (higher vitamin D levels are thought to reduce the risk of MS). In addition, fatty tissue can produce substances thought to affect immune and cellular function which may be associated with MS. [via Medical News Today]
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Tags: BMI, body mass index, fat, Harvard, MS, multiple sclerosis, Neurology, obesity, Public Health, vitamin D
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
November 11th, 2009 at 7:49 am
This study goes hand-in-hand with studies on Leptin and Insulin Resistance and Sun Light exposure. Adipose fat, which generates Leptin and controls glucose and insulin, plays a major role in overall health. Control of storage of fat and burning of glucose efficiently decreases obeasity and diabetes. Sun light exposure increases levels of vitamin D thus improving Leptin signaling and control of insulin and glucose.
Bottomline, get naked and out into the sun shine.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I am from Africa/Ethiopia and I am health professional. I work rural area on health center.
In this area there is no infrastructure and accessibility to information to deal with or treat different types of diseases. So, how can I cope with this situation be access to your information?