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World Multiple Sclerosis Day 2025: History, significance, theme and more
World MS Day is coordinated by the MS International Federation in collaboration with its members and partners worldwide.
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerve fibres, leading to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body. Symptoms can vary widely, including fatigue, mobility issues, and cognitive challenges, making early diagnosis and intervention crucial.
Why is World MS Day observed on May 30?
According to the World MS Day campaign website, https://worldmsday.org/, the choice of May 30 as World MS Day holds symbolic significance. In 2009, mountaineer Lori Schneider became the first person with MS to summit Mount Everest. Her achievement exemplified the resilience and determination of those living with MS, inspiring the selection of this date to honour their strength and perseverance.
What is the theme of World MS Day 2025?
The theme for World MS Day 2025 continues the focus on diagnosis, under the campaign titled 'My MS Diagnosis' with the tagline ' Navigating MS Together.' This theme emphasises the importance of early and accurate diagnosis, highlighting the challenges individuals face in obtaining a timely diagnosis and the impact it has on their lives.
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NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Out-Of-Balance Gut Bacteria Connected To Multiple Sclerosis: Study
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord. It affects nearly one million people in the US and over 2.8 million worldwide. While genetics play a role in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, environmental factors such as diet, infectious disease and gut health are major contributors. The environment plays a key role in determining who develops multiple sclerosis, and this is evident from twin studies. Among identical twins who share 100% of their genes, one twin has a roughly 25% chance of developing MS if the other twin has the disease. For fraternal twins who share 50% of their genes, this rate drops to around 2%. Scientists have long suspected that gut bacteria may influence a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis. But studies so far have had inconsistent findings. To address these inconsistencies, my colleagues and I used what researchers call a bedside-to-bench-to-bedside approach: starting with samples from patients with multiple sclerosis, conducting lab experiments on these samples, then confirming our findings in patients. In our 2025 research, we found that the ratio of two bacteria in the gut can predict multiple sclerosis severity in patients, highlighting the importance of the microbiome and gut health in this disease. Bedside to bench First, we analysed the chemical and bacterial gut composition of patients with multiple sclerosis, confirming that they had gut inflammation and different types of gut bacteria compared with people without multiple sclerosis. Specifically, we showed that a group of bacteria called Blautia was more common in multiple sclerosis patients, while Prevotella, a bacterial species consistently linked to a healthy gut, was found in lower amounts. In a separate experiment in mice, we observed that the balance between two gut bacteria, Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, was critical in distinguishing mice with or without multiple sclerosis-like disease. Mice with multiple sclerosis-like symptoms had increased levels of Akkermansia and decreased levels of Bifidobacterium in their stool or gut lining. Bench to bedside To explore this further, we treated mice with antibiotics to remove all their gut bacteria. Then, we gave either Blautia, which was higher in multiple sclerosis patients; Prevotella, which was more common in healthy patients; or a control bacterium, Phocaeicola, which is found in patients with and without multiple sclerosis. We found that mice with Blautia developed more gut inflammation and worse multiple sclerosis-like symptoms. Even before symptoms appeared, these mice had low levels of Bifidobacterium and high levels of Akkermansia. This suggested that an imbalance between these two bacteria might not just be a sign of disease, but could actually predict how severe it will be. We then examined whether this same imbalance appeared in people. We measured the ratio of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Akkermansia muciniphila in samples from multiple sclerosis patients in Iowa and participants in a study spanning the U.S., Latin America and Europe. Our findings were consistent: Patients with multiple sclerosis had a lower ratio of Bifidobacterium to Akkermansia. This imbalance was not only linked to having multiple sclerosis but also with worse disability, making it a stronger predictor of disease severity than any single type of bacteria alone. How 'good' bacteria can become harmful One of the most interesting findings from our study was that normally beneficial bacteria can turn harmful in multiple sclerosis. Akkermansia is usually considered a helpful bacterium, but it became problematic in patients with multiple sclerosis. A previous study in mice showed a similar pattern: Mice with severe disease had a lower Bifidobacterium-to-Akkermansia ratio. In that study, mice fed a diet rich in phytoestrogens - chemicals structurally similar to human estrogen that need to be broken down by bacteria for beneficial health effects - developed milder disease than those on a diet without phytoestrogens. Previously, we have shown that people with multiple sclerosis lack gut bacteria that can metabolise phytoestrogen. Although the precise mechanisms behind the link between the Bifidobacterium-to-Akkermansia ratio and multiple sclerosis are unknown, researchers have a theory. Both types of bacteria consume mucin, a substance that protects the gut lining. However, Bifidobacterium both eats and produces mucin, while Akkermansia only consumes it. When Bifidobacterium levels drop, such as during inflammation, Akkermansia overconsumes mucin and weakens the gut lining. This process can trigger more inflammation and potentially contribute to the progression of multiple sclerosis. Our finding that the Bifidobacterium-to-Akkermansia ratio may be a key marker for multiple sclerosis severity could help improve diagnosis and treatment. It also highlights how losing beneficial gut bacteria can allow other gut bacteria to become harmful, though it is unclear whether changing levels of certain microbes can affect multiple sclerosis. While more research can help clarify the link between the gut microbiome and multiple sclerosis, these findings offer a promising new direction for understanding and treating this disease.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Wheelchair bound woman gets back on her feet; says THIS diet helped her
Credit: Facebook/Mark Hyman, MD Imagine being told you have a disease that will slowly take away your ability to walk, sit, and even feed yourself. When the thought itself is difficult and disturbing for some, this is the harsh reality for many too. Dr. Terry Wahls comes in the latter group who, in 2000, was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a stage where symptoms steadily worsen, and disability increases. For many, this diagnosis feels like a life sentence with very little hope. But Dr. Wahls' story is not the regular one; rather, it's a story of hope, determination, and converting a 'maybe, never again' to 'someday soon.' What is SPMS? Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) is a stage of multiple sclerosis where symptoms gradually worsen over time without clear signs of further improvement. In SPMS, disability tends to increase, affecting body flexibility and daily activities. The exact cause of this change is not fully understood yet, but it usually means the disease has progressed to a more serious form. What actually happened? Terry Lynn Wahls is an American physician and paleo diet advocate, but for many, she has another identity:yes, the one who snoozed the 'Wheelchair-fate' using all her years of learning and knowledge. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo She came up with a method some may call a 'magic trick' to slow the progression of her own MS. After being diagnosed with the condition in 2000, the situation was supposed to get 'worse' with time, and with no wonder, by 2003, Dr. Wahls was restricted to a tilt-recline wheelchair. She couldn't sit upright for more than a few minutes and struggled to even feed herself. Despite trying all the conventional treatments available, none were able to stop her from getting worse. Many patients with progressive MS face the same situation, as medicines often slow the disease but the chance of reversing the damage is very less. In a situation like this, based on her medical background, she immersed herself in scientific research, focusing on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction-the failure of the energy-producing parts of cells known as mitochondria-in neurodegenerative diseases. Inspired by what she found, she developed a nutrient-dense diet and lifestyle approach aimed to change her condition. What started as her personal experiment for personal betterment became a 'miracle', earning the name of Wahl's Protocol. Is the Paleo Diet actually the 'Magic diet'? With a consistent amount of research, Wahls developed the Wahls Protocol, a program based on Paleo principles and functional medicine to manage symptoms of MS and other autoimmune the question is: What is that magic shift that helped a patient to change her life? A paleo/Wahls-style diet is a nutrient-rich eating plan inspired by the Paleolithic diet, which focuses on foods humans likely ate during the Stone Age. It emphasizes plenty of colorful vegetables, fruits, high-quality animal proteins like fish and organ meats, and healthy fats, while excluding processed foods, grains, dairy, eggs, and added sugars. Credit:CANVA The Diet simply follows: To understand these complicated terms in the simplest way possible, she basically focused on improving mitochondrial function and reducing inflammation through nutrition and lifestyle changes. It talks about consuming a high intake of colorful vegetables-specifically nine or more cups daily-divided among leafy greens, sulfur-rich vegetables like cabbage and onions, and deeply colored vegetables such as carrots and beets. The diet also includes high-quality protein sources like fish and organ meats while excluding processed foods, gluten, dairy, eggs, and nightshade vegetables in its elimination version to reduce potential immune triggers. Her commitment paid off. Within a few years, Dr. Wahls dramatically reversed her symptoms and changed her life from accepting fate to actually writing her own fate. Clinical studies have reported that many MS patients following the Wahls Protocol experience a better quality of life. Experts caution, however, that while promising, the diet is not a cure-all, and further research is still going on. Dr. Wahls' story is a real-life example of 'if life knocks you down, find your own way to stand again.' Within a few months, her fatigue disappeared, and within six months, she was walking without a cane-an image that most people believed they would never get to see again. By nine months, she was cycling around the block, and a year later, she completed more than a 15-mile bike ride. Her comeback from severe disability to active cycling is well documented, showing how lifestyle changes made a significant impact on her health beyond conventional treatments. Credit:CANVA
The Hindu
11-08-2025
- The Hindu
Why multiple sclerosis remains under-diagnosed in India, and what needs to change
Multiple Sclerosis, by its core definition, is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. This disease leads the immune system to mistakenly attack the myelin sheath, the fatty layer responsible for giving the brain's white matter its distinctive colour, disrupting the transmission of signals across motor, sensory, visual, cognitive, and autonomic systems. This leads to commonly-experienced symptoms such as unexplained weaknesses, tingling sensations, sensitivity to heat and numbness in the feet- and due to easy dismissal arising from the commonality of these symptoms, many individuals with multiple sclerosis remain undiagnosed, further worsening the brain and body's condition. These unchecked symptoms could lead to them experiencing a relapse - a sudden onset of these symptoms, the intensity of which differs from case to case. The burden of under-diagnosis The issue is lack of awareness around this rare disease: as estimated by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India (MSSI), the approximate number of persons with MS in India is close to 1.8 lakh. However, only about 35% of these cases are diagnosed and registered through organisations such as MSSI. Therefore, a whopping 65% of this number may be living with undiagnosed multiple sclerosis, suggesting that they suffer silently, without proper support, and are uninformed about the root cause behind their symptoms. Studies indicate that both physical and mental aspects of health are deeply affected, causing depression, physical disability and fatigue, leading to an overall drop in quality of life. The heat factor According to a 2024 survey, 80% of Indians between ages 18 to 50 experience at least one symptom of stress on a regular basis, with women being disproportionately affected. This, coupled with India being geographically positioned in a high temperature zone, and the fact that women are more susceptible to MS suggests that Indian women between the ages 18 to 50 may have the highest chances of suffering from undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. MS also afflicts males, and they too may suffer relapses worsened by the same triggers, though generally at a lower prevalence and with varied presentation across age groups and heat exposure. Adding to this, men with MS may experience more severe neurodegeneration and cognitive symptoms - although the root cause remains unclear. Men are shown to have higher chances of being diagnosed with primary progressive MS (PPMS). This type of MS is characterised by a lack of remissions and symptoms that don't improve. Most Indians therefore, undergo MS relapses triggered not just by stress, but also by infections, and prolonged heat. Dismissal of symptoms due to their commonality in nature is not the only factor behind the high ratio between diagnosed and undiagnosed populations affected by MS; lack of awareness among the public and healthcare providers, uneven access to specialist neurologists and MRI diagnostics, and limited data systems for tracking the disease nationwide all contribute to the problem. A scalable solution To bridge this gap, especially in rural settings, one scalable solution is through using the National Health Mission's Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) worker network. Nearly one million ASHAs already engage with rural communities, track symptoms, and help people seek care. Training ASHAs to spot red-flag neurological signs, such as persistent numbness, tingling, and unexplained fatigue that worsens in heat, can greatly reduce missed diagnoses. At the same time, improving primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) under initiatives such as the Aardram Mission in Kerala to include basic neurological screening tools and MRI referral pathways can boost early detection in underserved areas. Supported by targeted education for physicians, including accessible continuing medical education (CME) programmes for general practitioners on recognizing MS, triggers, and referral protocols, we can build a grassroots awareness model that does not rely on metro-based outreach and fits with India's public health system. Need for more awareness The key in bridging the gap between diagnosed patients and silent sufferers of MS in India lies in awareness. With multiple sclerosis still being considered a rare disease, there are no proven studies that determine its root cause or cure. However, better management of symptoms through early diagnosis may lead to a better quality of life, also minimising the overall damage caused to the myelin sheath. It is advisable to check with your neurologist and get screenings done to confirm your diagnosis, if you suspect you may have this autoimmune disease. (Dr (Col) J. D. Mukherji is vice chairman and head, department of neurology, institute of neurosciences, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi.
