Dietary and lifestyle factors in multiple sclerosis progression: results from a 5-year longitudinal MRI study

BackgroundEvidence regarding the role, if any, of dietary and lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is poorly understood.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of lifestyle-based risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) on clinical and MRI-derived MS outcomes.MethodsThe study enrolled 175 MS or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients and 42 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) who were longitudinally followed for 5.5years. The 20-year CVD risk was calculated by Healthy Heart Score (HHS) prediction model which includes age, smoking, body mass index, dietary intake, exercise, and alcohol consumption. Baseline and follow-up MRI scans were obtained and cross-sectional and longitudinal changes of T2-lesion volume (LV), whole brain volume (WBV), white matter volume (WMV), gray matter volume (GMV), and lateral ventricular volume (LVV) were calculated.ResultsAfter correcting for disease duration, the baseline HHS values of the MS group were associated with baseline GMV (r(s) = -0.20, p=0.01), and longitudinal LVV change (r(s) = 0.19, p=0.01). The association with LVV remained significant after adjusting for baseline LVV volumes (r(s) = 0.2, p=0.008) in MS patients. The diet component of the HHS was associated with the 5-year T2-LV accrual (r(s) = -0.191, p=0.04) in MS. In the HC group, the HHS was associated with LVV (r(s) = 0.58, p<0.001), GMV (r(s) = -0.57, p<0.001), WBV (r(s) = -0.55, p=0.001), T2-LV (r(s) = 0.41, p=0.027), and WMV (r(s) = -0.38, p=0.042). Additionally, the HC HHS was associated with the 5-year change in LVV (r(s) = 0.54, p=0.001) and in WBV (r(s) = -0.45, p=0.011).ConclusionLifestyle risk factors contribute to accelerated central brain atrophy in MS patients, whereas unhealthier diet is associated with MS lesion accrual. Despite the lower overall effectwhen compared to HCs, lifestyle-based modifications may still provide a beneficial effect on reducing brain atrophy in MS patients.