Australian study shows a link between MS and birth month
30 April 2010
An Australian study published today has shed further light on the correlation between vitamin D and MS. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, shows that people born after the vitamin D-scarce winter months are about 30 per cent more likely to go on to develop MS later in life compared with those born after the summer months.
The work complements a Scottish study recently published which showed that people born in April (after the winter months) were about 50 per cent more likely to develop MS than people born in November (after the summer months).
This study looked at data from MS prevalence surveys carried out in 1981 and found that people born in November/December (after the winter months) were 30 per cent more likely to develop MS than those born in May/June (after the Australian summer months). This pattern mirrors findings reported in the Northern hemisphere.
The study goes further in suggesting that vitamin D levels during the first trimester of pregnancy might be an important indicator of the risk of the unborn child developing MS.
Dr Doug Brown, Head of Biomedical Research at the MS Society, said: “These results add to the weight of existing evidence suggesting that vitamin D plays a role in the development of MS. This important piece of work complements a recent study in Scotland showing that babies born after the vitamin D-scarce winter months are more likely to develop MS in the future and we welcome advances made in this field of research.”
Vitamin D deficiency has been a widely studied risk factor for MS and this work adds to the evidence linking deficiency to MS.
Work part-funded by the MS Society was published last year and showed that vitamin D can influence a gene associated with MS. The study was the first of its kind to show that environmental and genetic signals can work together to influence a persons risk of developing MS. The work won Professor George Ebers and team an MS Society Award for MS Research Project of the Year.
This study looked at data from MS prevalence surveys carried out in 1981 and found that people born in November/December (after the winter months) were 30 per cent more likely to develop MS than those born in May/June (after the Australian summer months). This pattern mirrors findings reported in the Northern hemisphere.
The study goes further in suggesting that vitamin D levels during the first trimester of pregnancy might be an important indicator of the risk of the unborn child developing MS.
Dr Doug Brown, Head of Biomedical Research at the MS Society, said: “These results add to the weight of existing evidence suggesting that vitamin D plays a role in the development of MS. This important piece of work complements a recent study in Scotland showing that babies born after the vitamin D-scarce winter months are more likely to develop MS in the future and we welcome advances made in this field of research.”
Vitamin D deficiency has been a widely studied risk factor for MS and this work adds to the evidence linking deficiency to MS.
Work part-funded by the MS Society was published last year and showed that vitamin D can influence a gene associated with MS. The study was the first of its kind to show that environmental and genetic signals can work together to influence a persons risk of developing MS. The work won Professor George Ebers and team an MS Society Award for MS Research Project of the Year.
