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The association of diet with quality of life, disability, and relapse rate in an international sample of people with multiple sclerosis
In a comprehensive study involving a large international cohort of individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), Hadgkiss et al. (2015) aimed to examine the correlation between different dietary elements, including fat, fruit and vegetable consumption, dairy, and meat intake, and key health indicators such as disability, relapse frequency, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Web 2.0 platforms were used to recruit MS participants, who then answered a comprehensive survey that evaluated their clinical and demographic traits, HRQOL, disability, relapse rate, and Diet Habits Questionnaire (DHQ) completion. 2087 (84.5%) of the 2469 confirmed MS individuals gave comprehensive information about their eating patterns (DHQ total score). Multivariate regression analysis showed that there was a roughly six-point rise in physical HRQOL and a five-point increase in mental HRQOL, respectively, and a thirty-percent chance of lower disability for every ten-point increase in the DHQ total score. When adjusting for age, gender, and other dietary variables, individuals with a ‘healthy’ consumption of fruit and vegetables and dietary fat showed better quality of life and lower disability levels than those with a ‘poor’ diet. A higher DHQ total score was linked, albeit with limited predictive accuracy, to a lower relapse rate and decreased chances of rising disease activity in those with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. This study underscores the significant associations between healthy dietary habits, improved physical and mental HRQOL, and reduced disability levels among individuals with MS. Further investigation, including randomized controlled trials of dietary interventions, is necessary to understand these associations better. [NPID: Diet, Disability, Multiple sclerosis, Quality of life, Relapse]
Year: 2015
