Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) Tammy Lynard of Filer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seven years ago.

She says her brain sends messages that her muscles don’t always get. She tires easily and the heat bothers her. Lynard takes a shot every day, but she wants to help find a cure for MS.

Lynard says, “It was kind of a shock when you first hear about it. You try to get as much information as possible. You see the neurologist, they get you on therapies, hopefully as soon as possible. Hopefully the therapies help you live a better life.”

Like any other medical condition, MS can affect different people to different degrees. Lynard says one out of every 300 people in idaho have multiple sclerosis.

Lynard says, “The MS Society is great with information, they tell you how to get involved, what to do. I heard about the Walk that first year, and I met a lot of people. I found out there’s a lot of people in this area that have the disease. In fact, we’re one of the highest in the nation.”

You can sign up for Saturday’s “Walk MS” in Twin Falls online at walkmsidaho.org , or you can call 1 (800) FIGHT MS, and select option two.

Walk MS will be held this Saturday at the Twin Falls Visitor Center near the Perrine Bridge. Registration starts this Saturday at 8:30 a.m., and the walk begins at ten o’clock.

Walk MS is free to participate in, but the organizers encourage you to raise some money to benefit the cause.

Sept. 19, 2012.

Go here to see the original:
Local Woman Joins Battle Against Multiple Sclerosis

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

By Irene Maher, Times Staff Writer Irene MaherTampa Bay Times In Print: Monday, September 17, 2012

Regardless of your political leanings, at least one group of Americans was grateful for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions: Those affected by MS.

People with multiple sclerosis appreciated the shout-out from Ann Romney, wife of presidential nominee Mitt Romney, at the Republican National Convention in Tampa and from first lady Michelle Obama with the Democrats a week later in Charlotte, N.C.

Romney has been living with MS since 1998. Obama’s father lived with the disease for about 30 years before his death at age 66. Both women related how their lives were affected by MS.

That kind of exposure does more than increase awareness of an often misunderstood disease that afflicts 400,000 Americans, experts said.

“In the case of Ann Romney, seeing someone at the podium, in the national spotlight, living an obviously busy, active life allows others to see how much you can accomplish with MS,” said Dr. Stanley Krolczyk, director of the multiple sclerosis division in the department of neurology at USF Health. “It puts a different face on the disease when celebrities, like Montel Williams and Clay Walker, for example, go public and talk about living with MS.”

Jzon Livingston Sr., a patient of Krolczyk’s, agrees. The 33-year-old self-employed IT administrator was diagnosed with MS four years ago. With treatment, he’s been able to continue working and keep up with his three children, ages 15, 13 and 11. Livingston was moved when Obama described watching the decline in her father.

“That’s what the average person needs to know about MS. It’s a hard disease to have,” he said. “Without knowledge of how it can affect lives, there’s no understanding. Without understanding, there’s no action.”

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that targets the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It can range from mild to severe, where the patient is paralyzed or blind. The disease is unpredictable, and symptoms may start suddenly and persist, then resolve. Sometimes, it seems to be dormant and patients may go months or years without a flare-up. Others, though, have symptoms all the time.

View post:
Multiple sclerosis patients, doctors appreciate help from Ann Romney, Michelle Obama

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

European Multiple Sclerosis Platform is looking for an intern

The Brussels-based European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP) is looking for a full-time, paid internship to support the organisation from September 2012 onwards in its Public Affairs and Communications efforts. The envisaged duration of the internship is 6 months, with a possible 3-month extension. The intern will provide support on flagship projects of the EMSP (e.g. further development of our YOUTH project) and contribute to the EMSP’s website / web alert as key external communication tools.

Profilea background in communication or EU studies outstanding communication skills and excellent English excellent drafting skills; track-record in contributing to print and online publications a good understanding of European policies and the workings of the EU institutions

Interpersonal skills flexible, can-do attitude well-organised team player yet autonomous

Qualified candidates should submit their CV and cover letter in English to the attention of Christoph Thalheim, Deputy CEO and Director of External Affairs at christoph.thalheim@emsp.org. by the 25th September at the latest. Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.

About EMSP The EMSP is representing the interests of 38 national MS societies /patient organisations at the European level, working towards equitable treatment and support for persons with MS throughout Europe. Multiple Sclerosis is the most common debilitating neurological disease of young and middle aged people in Europe. More than 600,000 Europeans are affected.

2012 European voice. All rights reserved.

See the original post here:
Intern – European Multiple Sclerosis Platform

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

A new oral medication to treat patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis has shown considerable promise in two clinical trials, researchers announced Wednesday.

The medication is on track to become just the third oral drug available to MS patients, and potentially the safest and most effective, experts said. The second oral drug, called Aubagio, was approved just last week.

MS was virtually untreatable only two decades ago, but today nine “disease modifying” drugs are available for early-stage patients; a half-dozen more are in the late stages of development. Most patients in the early stage of the disease, a form called relapsing-remitting MS, take drugs intravenously.

The two new studies, published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that the drug BG-12, developed by Biogen Idec, reduced relapse rates in patients with relapsing MS by about 50 percent.

The drug also significantly reduced the frequency of new brain lesions often associated with these attacks, and slowed the progression of disease compared with a placebo.

The studies were Phase 3 trials, a last step on the road to drug approval. The Food and Drug Administration is required to make a decision about the drug’s approval before the end of this year.

“This drug is clearly quite effective in managing disease and reducing disability, and the safety profile looks quite good,” said Timothy Coetzee, the chief research officer at the

Multiple sclerosis is often a progressive disease in which the immune system damages neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

A majority of people with MS have relapsing-remitting MS, characterized by flare-ups that cause lesions in the brain to develop and neurological symptoms to emerge or worsen. Eventually, more than half of patients develop a progressive form of MS, leading to permanent disabilities.

Interferons, the drugs most commonly used in relapsing MS, reduce relapses by about 30 percent, and have not been shown to slow the progression of the disease and disability. The newly approved Aubagio also reduces relapses by about 30 percent, and it has the advantage of being an oral drug.

Read this article:
Pill shows promise in suppressing multiple sclerosis relapses

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

FOR Christmas in 2005, Diana Fayle’s mother Jan Riley drove herself to Warranwood to celebrate with her family.

“But by 2006, she didn’t even know what the telephone was or how to use it,” Ms Fayle said.

Mrs Riley, 69, had dementia – and the illness progressed quickly.

“Mum first started showing signs of memory loss in 2004, but by 2006 we knew there was something wrong,” she said.

A piano teacher for more than 40 years, Mrs Riley’s students began calling Ms Fayle about strange things that were happening during lessons.

The family first put in programs such as home help to keep Mrs Riley at home, but it was soon apparent she needed more care.

“She got to the point where she didn’t know the difference between day and night,” Ms Fayle said.

With a new baby herself, Ms Fayle said it was difficult finding the right home for her mother.

“We wanted to do what was right and best for her, and that meant making difficult decisions,” she said.

“Finding the right nursing home was paramount.”

Read the original post:
Remembering dementia's toll in Warranwood

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith

Sep 18 2012

Care services for people with dementia need a radical overhaul, Alzheimer Scotland has said.

Many of Scotland’s estimated 84,000 sufferers do not receive the co-ordinated health and social support that is vital to help them live in the community, the charity said.

Carers, partners and families of sufferers are also lacking essential support as a result of the current “fragmented” care system.

Alzheimer Scotland wants to see a co-ordinator appointed to oversee the treatment and care of dementia patients. This may include access to psychological services and regular reviews of patients’ wellbeing.

It is one of a number of recommendations outlined in its new report, Delivering Integrated Dementia Care: The Eight Pillars Model of Community Support. The charity hopes the document will act as a blueprint for local authorities and NHS boards.

Dementia includes a range of brain diseases of which Alzheimer’s is the most common. It predominantly affects older people.

An ageing population means that, based on current estimates, the number of people with dementia will double within the next 25 years.

Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said: “We wish to work alongside the Scottish Government, NHS Boards, local authorities and other bodies to ensure they use the Eight Pillars as a portal to deliver equal access to the best possible treatments and support for every person with dementia.

“Only through doing this can we be sure that we are using resources to the best possible effect to enable people to live in their own homes, in their own communities and with their families for as long as they choose.

See more here:
Dementia care 'needs overhaul'

Source:
http://www.longevitymedicine.tv/feed/

Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith