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Teenage obesity linked to MS
09 Nov 2009
New research has investigated the possibility that teenage obesity may be linked with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in women.
The results of the study, published in the scientific journal Neurology, examined information gathered information from women who claimed they were obese between the ages of 18 and 20 and linked a two-fold increase in the risk of developing MS.
The Harvard School of Public Health study took into account other environmental factors including age, distance from the equator that the women lived, and smoking habits.
It did not, however, account for several other environmental and genetic factors associated with MS including vitamin D levels and evidence of previous infection with Epstein Barr Virus, also linked with MS.
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Research Communications Officer at the MS Society, said: "This study does not account for several other factors that may play a role in causing MS and based on that, more work is needed. As such, it is difficult to determine whether teenage obesity could be a possible factor in causing MS in women."
For more information see our research news pages.
The Harvard School of Public Health study took into account other environmental factors including age, distance from the equator that the women lived, and smoking habits.
It did not, however, account for several other environmental and genetic factors associated with MS including vitamin D levels and evidence of previous infection with Epstein Barr Virus, also linked with MS.
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Research Communications Officer at the MS Society, said: "This study does not account for several other factors that may play a role in causing MS and based on that, more work is needed. As such, it is difficult to determine whether teenage obesity could be a possible factor in causing MS in women."
For more information see our research news pages.
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