Neurology: Vitamin D, smoking and EBV can predict long-term cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis

Cognitive impairment is a common debilitating symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.

In previous studies, researchers have reported that among participants in the clinical trial BENEFIT, those with higher vitamin D levels at 1 or 2 years after recruitment had fewer active lesions and fewer brain atrophy during the 5-year follow-up period.

The study included 278 patients who participated in the clinical trial BENEFIT and completed the 11-year evaluation (BENEFIT-11).

The results show that higher concentrations of vitamin D are better predictive, while smoking is less effective in predicting cognitive ability.

In summary, the results of this study show that lower vitamin D and smoking after clinical onset can predict the deterioration of long-term cognitive function and neuronal integrity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Original source:

Marianna Cortese, et al.