We hope you’re having a great week. We’ve been pretty busy planning exciting new content for you to read, share, and feel empowered by. From our new MS Tumblr blog to setting up shop on Instagram, MyCounterpane is slowly but surely spreading empowerment across the web.
We hope you join us as we create powerful content across multiple platforms. In the meantime, please enjoy the following MS news stories.
1. A new study has found playing video games that target cognitive abilities may improve brain function in MS patients. After 8 weeks of playing the games for 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week, study participants had increased brain activity in cognitive areas and performed better on cognitive skills tests.
2. An East London woman was found guilty of murder after killing her father, a 67 year old with MS. The judge sentenced her to life with a minimum term of four years after saying he believed she was carrying out a suicide pact and the killing was an act of mercy.
3. New findings have shown that MS patients are more likely to have other chronic conditions than those without MS. The study tested 23,382 people with MS, and 116,638 people of the same age and race without MS, and found that chronic conditions were more common in those with MS. Mental illness was found to be especially high.
4. MSWorld and Biogen have created a program to all people with MS to give thanks to all the people in their lives that help them. The #MySupportHero program runs through March and includes a virtual orange flower that can be shared on Facebook and Pinterest or retweeted to show appreciation.
5. Vitamin D deficiency in utero has been shown to increase the risk for developing MS in adulthood. Studies found that children who were born to mothers with a vitamin-D deficiency had a 90 percent higher risk of developing MS as an adult when compared to those born to mothers with healthy vitamin-D levels.
6. Though more research is needed, a new study has found that there may be a link between coffee consumption and a decreased risk of developing MS. The study showed that individuals who drank more than 4 cups of coffee a day had a 29 percent lower risk of MS.
7. Having another chronic illness along with MS has been found to speed the progression of MS. A study from the University of Buffalo found that MS patients with comorbid conditions have more severe brain damage than MS patients without comorbidities.
8. Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell and his son, Tyler, who was diagnosed with MS in 2007, hosted the fifth Annual Flavors of Austin benefit on March 5th in Austin Texas. The Pro Player Foundation teamed up with current professional athletes and celebrities to raise awareness and money for multiple sclerosis.
9. Abbey Schubert recalls giving her mother her first injection at 8-years-old. Her article, What My Mom’s Multiple Sclerosis Has Taught Me, was published on Bustle, and is a touching story of growing up with a mother with MS.
10. A promising new drug has has recently been approved by the FDA for treatment of MS. 70 percent of patients that were involved in the clinical trials for Lemtrada are still in remission after 5 years.
Know of any promising MS news? Share your knowledge in the comments.
