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| The following article is part of live conference coverage from the 2018 ACTRIMS Forum in San Diego, California. Neurology Advisor’s staff will be reporting breaking news associated with research conducted by leading experts in neurology. Check back for the latest news from ACTRIMS 2018. |
Intake of saturated fatty acids may affect disability severity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), according to data presented at the ACTRIMS Forum 2018 in San Diego, California.
Researchers from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Isfahan, Iran, conducted a case-control study that included 126 patients with MS and 68 patients with NMOSD who underwent magnetic resonance imaging assessment of the brain and spinal cord. Participants completed a 168-item semiquantitative food questionnaire to assess dietary intake of fatty acids. Medical history questionnaires, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, and fatigue questionnaire records were also collected.
The average EDSS scores, fatigue scale scores, and dietary intake of saturated fatty acids were lower in patients with MS compared with patients with NMOSD, but the results were not significant. The total fat, monounsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes were higher in patients with MS compared with patients with NMOSD.
In patients with MS, EDSS scores were negatively correlated with dietary intake of total fats (P =.025) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (P =.014). Fatigue scale scores were also negatively correlated with intake of total fats (P =.005) and monounsaturated fatty acids (P =.036). In addition, EDSS scores were negatively correlated with intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with NMOSD (P =.001), and fatigue scale scores were negatively correlated with intake of total fats (P =.046) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (P =.009).
The researchers note that there was a positive correlation between saturated fatty acid intake and EDSS scores (P =.003) in patients with MS. In patients with NMOSD, saturated fatty acid intake was also positively correlated with EDSS and fatigue scale scores (P <.001 for both).
“Dietary intakes of fats and types of fatty acids may impress on disability in MS and NMOSD,” the researchers concluded.
For more coverage of ACTRIMS Forum 2018, click here.
Reference
Maljaei MB, Shaygannejad V, Mirmosayyeb O, Askari G, Maracy MR. Comparison of fats/oils intake and disability in patients with MS and patients with NMOSD. Presented at: ACTRIMS Forum 2018. February 1-3, 2018; San Diego, CA. Abstract P159.
