Episode 471: Navigating an MS Relapse with Dr. F. Gabriela Karolidis

Relapses make life with MS unpredictable. Understanding what they are, why they happen, and how best to manage them can make a relapse less scary and easier to navigate.   This week, Dr. Gabriela Karolidis, a board-certified neurologist and neuroimmunologist at Thomas Jefferson University, joins us for a deep dive into MS relapses. The MS International Federation has just updated the Atlas of MS, showing more than 3 million people living with MS worldwide. We're sharing the details behind the new numbers. We'll also share a study showing how wearable activity trackers add a dimension of real-world data that provides a more complete picture of an individual's mobility throughout the day. We'll tell you about research on Vitamin D supplements that fails to determine whether they are beneficial for people living with MS. We're sharing study results showing that social and socioeconomic factors clearly affect cognitive function among people living with MS.  We're also sharing results from a nationwide study in Denmark that focused on whether high-efficacy DMTs affect progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA). And we'll tell you about a fall prevention study that you may be eligible to participate in (compensation provided!). We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Navigating a relapse  :22 Global MS prevalence surpasses 3 million   :57 A study shows that wearable activity trackers help create a more complete picture of an individual's mobility   6:38 Researchers attempt to determine whether Vitamin D supplements help people living with MS   10:14 A study provides evidence that social and socioeconomic factors impact cognitive function in people living with MS  13:58 A nationwide study in Denmark focuses on whether high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies have an impact on progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA)  17:20 You may be eligible to participate in a fall prevention study (compensation is provided)  21:11 Dr. F. Gabriela Karolidis takes us on a deep dive into MS relapses  22:58 Share this episode  37:52 Next week  38:12 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/471 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Global Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis Surpasses 3 Million: 2024 Update of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Atlas of MS https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585261479954 RESOURCE: Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Atlas of MS https://msif.org/atlas STUDY: Diurnal Step Count Patterns in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585261475910 STUDY: Vitamin D Supplementation and Its Effect on Relapse Frequency and MRI Activity in Adults With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.71692 STUDY: Social and Socioeconomic Factors and Cognitive Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221103482600475X STUDY: Effectiveness of Escalation Versus Early High-Efficacy Therapies on Progression Independent of Relapse Activity In Multiple Sclerosis: A Danish Nationwide Study https://neurologyopen.bmj.com/content/8/2/e001690 PARTICIPATE: University of Illinois Disability, Participation, and Quality of Life Research Laboratory Fall Prevention Study Email: [email protected] REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 471 Guest: Dr. Gabriela Karolidis Privacy Policy