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A protein found in HDL, or ''good,'' cholesterol may help protect against the effects of multiple sclerosis, according to new research.

In the study, patients with MS had much lower levels of the protein than did healthy people, says study researcher Lidia Gardner, PhD. She is an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Those with more severe forms of MS, known as progressive, had even lower levels of the protein than those with a 'milder' form called relapsing-remitting. The protein is known as ApoA1........ Read More - http://www.ms-uk.org/lipids

Doesn't this tie in perfectly with why a change in diet and exercise regime helps so many with MS?

I have a high level of "good" cholesterol and a low level of bad one...and I still got MS. ;)

The protein found to be low in MS is also low in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's---always bothers me when MS researchers make "Eureka!" PR statements, and fail to mention connections to other neurodegenerative diseases.

Higher levels of ApoA1 (the structural protein found in "good cholesterol" or HDL) are linked to better memory and sharper mental abilities, and yes--as zjac says, this ties in with why diet and exercise are essential for pwMS, because these measures can increase HDL. The heart and brain are connected. It's not that having low HDL levels will "give" you MS, it's that HDL is neuroprotective. There are many cardiovascular connections to MS severity and neurodegeneration or protection. And every little bit helps.

I wrote up more for those interested in learning about the connection, and how to raise HDL levels, and help the brain--
http://ccsviinms.blogspot.com/2013/11/g ... brain.html

cheer

Maybe I put that badly, my point was exactly that...the things in our body are way more correlated than we think and if you have one thing "right" it doesn't mean that you are entirely healthy, maybe you have something else wrong that the scientists haven't made the connection yet.

Cheerleader posted about this a few days ago.
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... 23797.html

I think this would be related to the elevated levels of homocysteine found in patients with MS.