New Research Shows Central Nervous System Problems Due to ObesityAccording to a new research in New York, if a woman is obese at age 18 then there is a risk of developing multiple sclerosis during her life time. Dr. Kassandra L. Munger of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston told that this is the first study to link MS risk with obesity. MS is a kind of disease which is related to central nervous system. Every year in America about 10,000 new cases of MS are diagnosed. It is an unpredictable disease which has no known cure. Loss of coordination, incontinence, sexual dysfunction, slurred speech, blurred vision, dizziness and weakness are the symptoms of MS. This disease is not common. According to Munger, 1 in 100 lifetime women risk of developing MS compared to 1 in 8 women risk of breast cancer during their life time. There were around 593 cases of MS from 200,000 participants in the two groups. The study found that having a large body size at ages 5 and 10 or as an adult has no association with MS risk. The study team found out at age 20, a large body size was associated with 96% increase risk of MS, and at age 18 obesity was associated with twofold increased risk of MS. The medical journal Neurology reported that the prevention of adolescent obesity may contribute to reduced MS risk. The findings need to be validated and can only be applied to white women with further research.The study has its limitations said the investigators. Munger said that the biological mechanisms would be different can not be accepted with out any reason, but we cant say the same about the disease in racial differences. For MS Munger pointed out that weight is not the most significant risk factor. According to her cigarette smoking, vitamin D deficiency and environmental infection with the Epstein Barr virus are the three risks which are top ranking. |
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