This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Published in the Nov 14 Denver Post and on their web page is a request to participate in a survey about how they can better serve us. If you are in the Rocky Mountain region, or perhaps even if you are not, please tell them what you think at http://www.mscenter.org.

The Altitude Research Center (ARC) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus brings scientists and doctors together to study the complex medical and physiological challenges of hypoxia on human health and performance. The facility boasts state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, sophisticated instrumentation and computing resources, and a 10'-by-28' hypobaric chamber that can simulate altitudes up to and beyond the summit of Mt. Everest.

According to ARC director Ben Honigman, M.D., the center has two main focuses. First is the study of integrative physiology, how hypoxia affects the whole person as well as at cellular and molecular levels. This includes the search for a prevention and cure for AMS — which could have implications both economic and military. Investigators are also identifying specific genes that can predict who will get sick and studying the responses of individuals who exercise vigorously in hypoxic environments to better understand physiology at altitude and minimize the risk of deadly edema.

The other focus is epidemiology, the effects of hypoxia on lifespan and progression of cancer, heart disease, obesity, lung diseases, and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. Projected studies will investigate multiple sclerosis progression, longevity, cardiovascular disease, and behavior of malaria at altitude. Medical applications for these studies are being realized in conjunction with sophisticated geographic information systems technology that tracks migrations of populations.

Are you wondering about living in high altitude? Or just going to high altitude for like a day?

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Much about Multiple Sclerosis is still a mystery and some 400,000 people in the U.S. know first hand of the disease that cripples the body and affects the nervous system. What's just as puzzling, and perhaps startling, is that M.S. seems to target certain places.

"Colorado has a high prevalence, one of the higher rates in the country. There's about 9,500 people here that have told the Colorado chapter of the M.S. Society that they have M.S., and there's likely more," says Tricia Pallatt, community outreach manager for the Western Slope chapter of the National M.S. Society.

Sherene Clowers was diagnosed with M.S. at five years ago, at just 27-years-old. She says she has friends who moved to Colorado and were then stricken with the disease as well.

"I think it's very weird. I know of some people who were not born in Colorado that were diagnosed also," says Clowers.

Both, civic--Colorado has high numbers of pwMS that are diagnosed after moving there.