Understanding how healthy lifestyle choices may help prevent MS and improve heart health
People with MS are more likely to experience other health problems, especially heart conditions and strokes. We already have some research that shows how lifestyle affects our risk for health problems.
But we don’t yet know how a combination of healthy behaviours, like regular physical activity, a balanced diet, and good sleep, might lower MS risk. And improve long-term health for people with MS.
These lifestyle factors are also called modifiable risk factors because they are things that can be changed. For example, by changing your diet or stopping smoking.
About the project
The researchers will use large, existing health research databases of hundreds of thousands of people, both with and without MS.
First, the researchers will investigate how lifestyle factors and health measures, like blood markers, are linked to the risk of developing MS. They’ll also examine whether factors like age, other health conditions and vitamin D levels influence the risk.
Next, the researchers will focus on people who have already been diagnosed with MS. They’ll explore how lifestyle impacts the risk of developing heart problems and major events related to heart health. Such as heart attacks and strokes, in people with MS.
Using advanced statistical methods, they’ll simulate “what if” scenarios. For example, what happens to the risk for heart conditions if someone increases physical activity by 10 minutes a week. Or improves diet or increases sleep time.
Finally, they’ll examine if these improvements also benefit things like quality of life, mental wellbeing, fatigue and mobility for people with MS.
How will it help people with MS?
Insights from this project could change how we think about preventing MS and improve how we support people living with MS.
Identifying which factors have a strong link to MS risk, could pave the way for new public health strategies focused on prevention. For example, healthcare professionals could offer personalised advice to people at higher risk based on their risk factors.
For people already living with MS, this project could help shape personalised guidelines. It could show which lifestyle changes have the greatest impact on heart health, impact of MS and overall wellbeing. That means future treatments and care plans could include more personalised support around healthy behaviours. Alongside medication and usual MS care.
