MS Progression Study

Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, MD

Principal Investigator

Professor of Neurology
State University of New York at Buffalo
Director, Jacobs MS Center for Treatment & Research
Director, Jacobs Pediatric MS Center of Excellence
Executive Director, NY State MS Consortium

Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, FAAN

Professor, Department of Neurology

State University of New York at Buffalo

Director, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center

Murali Ramanathan, PhD

Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and of Neurology

State University of New York at Buffalo

Ralph Benedict, PhD

Professor, Department of Neurology

State University of New York at Buffalo

MS Progression and Aging

ARMS raised $75,000 to support this research

Despite the many advances made in the treatment of MS over the last 2 decades, most people with MS have still been shown to transition to the more progressive phase of the disease within 15 years of diagnosis.

Concerned about the lack of almost any research about progressive stages of MS, ARMS board members met with MS researchers at the University at Buffalo’s Department of Neurology during the summer of 2013 and asked them to examine how MS affects people over 60.

In response to meeting with ARMS, they developed a unique study examining how disease progression is affected by lifestyle, various drug therapies, genes, environment, and age.

The MS Progression and Aging Study was done under the direction of Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, MD, the Director of the Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center for Treatment and Research at UBMD Neurology. It was designed to identify how several factors, some of which can be modified, influence MS progression over time.

Diet, and other lifestyle factors, including smoking and physical activity level, medications, genetic profile, lipid levels, as well as environmental factors such as exposure to specific viruses were selected to study.

What is unique about this study?

To date, no MS research had put together in one study the factors of age, lifestyle, drug therapies, genetics, and environment.

The study was directed by renowned MS researcher and clinician, Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, MD. She collaborated with University at Buffalo colleagues Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, FAAN; Ralph Benedict, PhD; and Murali Ramanathan, PhD. It was part of a larger MS study under the direction of Dr. Zivadinov and approved by the university’s Internal Review Board.

For questions about this study or its parent study, contact ARMS at info@advancing-research-in-ms.com.

Results of this study and publications

coming soon.

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