Association between Expanded Disability Status Scale score and dietary antioxidant capacity in patients with multiple...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Immunology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a leading cause of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, particularly affecting young adults.
• Antioxidant-rich diets are recognized for their potential to mitigate pro-inflammatory cytokine activity and improve MS prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between dietary antioxidant capacity and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores in patients diagnosed with MS.
• To determine if specific antioxidant levels correlate with disease severity as measured by EDSS.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 220 MS patients (137 women, 83 men) completed dietary questionnaires.
• Patients were stratified into two groups based on EDSS scores (≤5 and >5).
• Nutritional data were analyzed using BeBiS 4 software, assessing antioxidant levels and demographic factors.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in age and levels of vitamins A, D, E, C, and retinol were observed between the EDSS groups (P<0.05).
• Pearson's correlation analysis confirmed significant interrelationships among vitamins A, D, E, C, and retinol.
• Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis identified vitamins A, D, and C as key discriminating variables for patients with higher EDSS scores (>5).

Conclusions:

• Antioxidant levels, particularly vitamins A, D, and C, show potential as indicators of MS illness severity and treatment efficacy.
• These findings suggest that assessing antioxidant status could aid in managing MS patients.
• Further clinical trials focusing on potent antioxidants in MS patients are warranted.