Gestational diabetes and multiple sclerosis
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Medical Update Memo
September 3, 2009
Summary
MS is a disease of unknown cause. Since the environment may play a role in its development, the authors investigated if the risk of developing MS increases in people whose mothers had gestational diabetes. Epidemiology. 2009 Sep;20(5):783-4
Details
Canadian researchers Dr. George Ebers and Dr. Dessa Sadovnick and colleagues have published their results looking at the potential relationship between maternal gestational diabetes, and risk of developing MS in offspring. They studied a group of more than 5,000 people with MS and a group of healthy controls (spousal control group). They compared the proportion of people whose mothers had diabetes during the period of pregnancy between the two groups. The authors found that in the group of people with MS, the proportion of mothers with gestational diabetes was significantly higher than it was in the group of healthy controls. Although the results of this study must be taken cautiously because of the limitations inherent to a retrospective analysis, they may offer insights into the pathogenesis of the disease.
National Research and Programs
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The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada is an independent, voluntary health
agency and does not approve, endorse or recommend any specific product or therapy,
but provides information to assist individuals in making their own decisions.
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