BACKGROUND:
It is well known that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are very sensitive to heat events. However, how MS patients respond to the significant temperature difference between the high- and low-latitude regions is not understood.
OBJECTIVE:
The goal is to identify the primary factor responsible for the fact that MS mortality rates of the United States is more than three times higher in the northern states than in the southern states.
METHODS:
Correlation coefficients between the age-adjusted mortality rate of MS as the underlying cause of death and the state average temperature, altitude, latitude, duration of sunshine hours, and solar radiation in the 48 contiguous states were compared.
RESULTS:
MS mortality rates correlate significantly and inversely with temperatures in the 48 states (correlation coefficient r = -0.812 and significance p = 0.00). Durations of sunshine hours and solar radiation do not correlate significantly with MS mortality rates ( r = -0.245, -0.14, and p = 0.101, 0.342, respectively).
CONCLUSION:
High environmental temperature is the primary reason for the low MS mortality rates and likely the low MS prevalence in low-latitude regions. Implication of the study result is that benefits of long-term heat acclimation through gradual and prolonged exposure to environmental heat for MS patients may be greatly underappreciated.
As winter grips the UK..yes I saw a snow flake this morning Dr Sun talks about temperature and life…and says if you live up North you are more likely to meet your maker.
So lets all go on a sun holiday to get a bit of heat…easier said than done, but I was much happier in shorts two weeks ago in Australia than wrapped in my woolly jumper this morning
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Thanks to MS i can't control my body temp. Always seem to struggle in the heat. Colder the better, am doomed to be miserable?
I believe the difference is diet and lifestlye. A warmer climate is more condusive to fresh fruit and salad, higher fluid inake, more exposure to the outside environment increasing sun exposure, exercise, social activities and sports.
In cold weather we are more inclined to drink less water and more coffee/hot choclate, eat more warm foods which maybe contains more salt and fat and fewer vegetables and fruit. Outside activities become less attractive and staying inside more desirable. A healthy diet and exercise is achievable in the winter but we may not feel like it or particularly notice how our diet/routine has changed.
My body tends to feel cold as pain and it is hard to tolerate cold food and water in the winter without feeling nauseous, if I were to move to Florida I am pretty sure I would find it easier to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
"and says if you live up North you are more likely to meet your maker"
That's me stuffed. (Not saying on here where I live.)
I live in a city with a hot and humid climate, and when the rainy season arrives, where the temperature drops more than usual, I feel even a little fatigued, which was to be expected at high temperatures, but the cold seems to me be worse.
It is difficult to walk in snow and ice with MS. It is especially difficult to push a wheelchair or use a cane in the snow. So yes, living in a snow free climate would be easier. Also, it is easier to cool down than it is to warm up.
This post is not helpful if you have Uhthoff's.
… but if cold weather generally kills more people than warm weather would this not translate into higher mortality rates for those with ms living in cold climates? http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(14)62114-0.pdf
what's an ms attributable death v. cold weather attributed death?