Multiple sclerosis primary prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fahimeh Shojaei, M.D.

Overview

Effective measures for the primary prevention of multiple sclerosis include: Vitamin D supplement, smoking cessation, and early exposure to infections.

Effective measures for the primary prevention of multiple sclerosis include:

Vitamin D supplement: There is some evidence demonstrating that 1000 to 4000 IU vitamin D supplement daily can reduce the incidence of multiple sclerosis.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Smoking cessation: Smoking cessation proved to be beneficial in reducing the incidence of MS disease.^[4]

Early exposure to infections: EBV infection in childhood is not a severe disease, but in adults, it can presents as infectious mononucleosis. The similarity between the prevalence of infectious mononucleosis and MS point out that infection with this virus in childhood can reduce the risk of MS in comparison with adulthood infection.^[5]^[6]

↑ Hollis BW (February 2005). “Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels indicative of vitamin D sufficiency: implications for establishing a new effective dietary intake recommendation for vitamin D”. J. Nutr. 135 (2): 317–22. PMID 15671234.
↑ Dawson-Hughes B, Heaney RP, Holick MF, Lips P, Meunier PJ, Vieth R (July 2005). “Estimates of optimal vitamin D status”. Osteoporos Int. 16 (7): 713–6. doi:10.1007/s00198-005-1867-7. PMID 15776217.
↑ Vieth R (May 1999). “Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety”. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69 (5): 842–56. PMID 10232622.
↑ Hernán MA, Olek MJ, Ascherio A (July 2001). “Cigarette smoking and incidence of multiple sclerosis”. Am. J. Epidemiol. 154 (1): 69–74. PMID 11427406.
↑ Warner HB, Carp RI (December 1981). “Multiple sclerosis and Epstein-Barr virus”. Lancet. 2 (8258): 1290. PMID 6118702.
↑ Bach JF (September 2002). “The effect of infections on susceptibility to autoimmune and allergic diseases”. N. Engl. J. Med. 347 (12): 911–20. doi:10.1056/NEJMra020100. PMID 12239261.