When we talk about myelin damage, most of us typically think of the brain. After all, that myelin is located in your central nervous system. But the inflammation that causes myelin damage may be triggered by activity that's taking place well south of your central nervous system, in your gut microbiome, the colony of trillions of bacteria and microorganisms that live in your intestines. Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam joins me to help us understand what this gut-brain connection is all about, how that conn...
Feb 03, 2025•37 min•Season 8Ep. 388
The TEAAMS study examines the effects of a remotely delivered, racially-tailored exercise training program among African-Americans with MS, who are living in low-income areas of the Southeastern United States, which is a part of the country that doesn't have many primary care or MS clinics that provide full exercise and rehabilitation services for patients with MS. Ashli, who lives with MS and has completed the TEAAMS program, and Victoria, a behavioral coach who has worked with several study pa...
Jan 27, 2025•34 min•Season 8Ep. 387
MS symptoms can worsen, and relapses can occur. And when that happens, how do you know whether you require immediate medical care? When is it time to go to the hospital? Dr. Kalina Sanders joins me to talk about when it's time to seek immediate medical care for MS. Dr. Sanders is a board-certified neurologist who specializes in multiple sclerosis and spasticity management at Baptist Health in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. We're also talking about MS care in the United Arab Emirates with Professor...
Jan 20, 2025•33 min•Season 8Ep. 386
This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and is only intended for a U.S. audience. EMD Serono is the healthcare business of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the United States and Canada. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, Dr. Mary Rensel and Amanda Montague join me to explore HCP (Healthcare Provider) burnout and patient empowerment; and we'll be taking a close look at how patients and their healthcare providers can work together to support one another. Dr. Mary Ren...
Jan 16, 2025•12 min
The new year brings with it several significant benefits for many people affected by MS. We're reviewing how the nearly 400,000 people with MS who rely on Medicare for their health insurance will save thousands of dollars, how people with MS who currently have medical debt will see a big improvement on their credit report, and how people who fly with their mobility device will see major improvements in how the airlines treat them. We're also talking with Craig Bianco about his experience as a me...
Jan 13, 2025•31 min•Season 8Ep. 385
There are genetic risks associated with MS, there are demographic risks of experiencing a more severe disease course, and there are also behavioral and lifestyle risks that will increase the chance that someone will be diagnosed with MS. Joining me today to discuss behavioral and lifestyle MS risk factors and how they can be mitigated are Doctor Jared Bruce and Dr. Amanda Bruce. Dr. Jared Bruce is a neuropsychologist and the director of psychiatric research at the University of Missouri-Kansas C...
Jan 06, 2025•34 min•Season 8Ep. 384
One of the most important MS research events every year is the annual European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS Scientific Congress, usually referred to by its acronym, ECTRIMS. You've made our podcast episode that followed ECTRIMS the most downloaded episode of the year. So, this week, I'm revisiting the two conversations that I had immediately after the ECTRIMS conference ended. In what has become an annual tradition, it's my privilege to sit down with the National MS Society's Execu...
Dec 30, 2024•28 min•Season 8Ep. 383
The holiday season provides me with an opportunity to indulge in what's become a RealTalk MS tradition. I reserve the last two episodes of the year to revisit the most compelling and important conversations that I've had over the past year. This week, I'm revisiting two conversations I had with two experts on MS and women's health issues. MS affects women almost 3 times more frequently than it affects men, which should make understanding how MS might impact other women's health issues a priority...
Dec 23, 2024•34 min•Season 8Ep. 382
There's an alarming shortage of neurologists in the United States. That shortage makes it hard to be seen by a neurologist and, in some regions of the U.S., you may not even find an MS specialist without having to travel hundreds of miles. The good news is now there's an app for that! Joining me to talk about how an app called BeCare is already changing the game when it comes to MS care is the Chief Medical Officer of BeCareLink, Dr. Charisse Litchman. The FDA has designated Tolebrutinib as a Br...
Dec 16, 2024•32 min•Season 8Ep. 381
If you're living with MS, you've probably already learned that hot weather, hot baths, or anything that causes your body temperature to increase can quickly cause your symptoms to worsen. But winter can also be a challenging time. Less daylight, frigid temperatures, ice, and snow can all have an impact on MS. Dr. Lisa Doggett returns to the podcast with tips and strategies for enjoying winter while staying healthy, safe, and warm. We'll also remind you that the International Progressive MS Allia...
Dec 09, 2024•28 min•Season 8Ep. 380
Disease-modifying therapies work, and, as a result, people with MS are living longer. With half the MS population over the age of 55, it's never been more urgent to understand how the process of aging impacts MS and how MS impacts the process of aging. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, Dr. Leorah Freeman discusses the many factors associated with aging with MS. This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by Viatris. SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it ...
Dec 05, 2024•20 min
More effective treatments and even cures for MS can only happen as a result of clinical research. And clinical research can only happen when people living with MS choose to become research participants. But what are the pros and cons that you should consider when you're thinking about participating in MS research? The National MS Society's Associate Vice President of Research, Dr. Kathy Zackowski, returns to the podcast to discuss the risks and benefits of participating in clinical research. We'...
Dec 02, 2024•31 min•Season 8Ep. 379
Too often, care partners remain invisible as they deal with the emotional, physical, and even financial burdens that go along with supporting a loved one who's living with multiple sclerosis. November is National Family Caregivers Month, and I'm devoting this entire episode to a roundtable discussion with four remarkable care partners as they share their insights, experiences, and lessons learned caring for a loved one with MS. You won't want to miss my conversation with Barbara, Marina, Maiya, ...
Nov 25, 2024•35 min•Season 8Ep. 378
There are some people who, once you meet them, it's impossible to forget them. They seem to leave an indelible impression. Lydia Emily is one of those people. Whether it's through her art that occasionally escapes the canvas to be expressed as massive urban murals proclaiming End MS , or through her outspoken MS advocacy. Lydia Emily is a force. Now, along with co-author Lenlee Keep, Lydia Emily has channeled that energy into a book entitled, The Art of Hope: The Life and Art of Lydia Emily. Lyd...
Nov 18, 2024•36 min•Season 8Ep. 377
MS affects almost 3 times as many women as men, often affecting women of childbearing age. In this special episode of RealTalk MS, Dr. Riley Bove answers some of the important questions about the impact of MS on a woman's pregnancy and the impact of pregnancy on a woman's MS. This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by Viatris. SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/V201 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've ...
Nov 14, 2024•21 min
On this podcast, we tend to talk a lot about new technologies, emerging treatments, the most recently approved disease-modifying therapies, and even some DMTs that haven't yet been approved. And in the midst of all that cutting-edge research and evolving science, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that expressive therapies like dance and movement therapy, music therapy, and art therapy have all been shown to help promote self-efficacy, emotional well-being, and motor control in people living wi...
Nov 11, 2024•33 min•Season 8Ep. 376
Being a teenager is hard. So, imagine for a moment that in addition to everything else that teenagers have to endure, you're a teenager who's been diagnosed with MS. Your ability to participate in after-school activities or just hang out with your friends is impacted by MS-related fatigue. The typical adolescent anxiety over something someone posted on social media evolves into depression. And cognitive issues begin to make it harder for you in the classroom. This is an unfortunate reality for m...
Nov 04, 2024•33 min•Season 8Ep. 375
Learning to live with MS is learning to live with loss. For some, those losses may be minor and seem relatively insignificant. For others, those losses can be huge and life-altering. The definition of grief is an emotional response to a significant loss . It's not unusual to grieve over those things in your life that have been lost due to MS. In fact, healthy grieving is a necessary emotional step to moving forward in life. Dr. Holly Hendin, a faculty physician and psychiatrist at St. Joseph’s H...
Oct 28, 2024•37 min•Season 8Ep. 374
Now that he's had a chance to digest all of the research presented at ECTRIMS, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the National MS Society's Executive Vice President of Research, is back to share the key research presented at the largest MS research conference in the world. This episode of RealTalk MS is the perfect follow-up to my initial conversation with Bruce, which occurred just minutes after ECTRIMS ended. (If you missed our conversation, you may want to check out Episode 369 of RealTalk MS.) We have a lot to...
Oct 21, 2024•28 min•Season 8Ep. 373
Open enrollment is underway! And if you're one of the 25% of people living with MS who get their coverage through Medicare, there are some major changes coming in 2025. So, it's especially important that you review your prescription drug coverage to make sure you're enrolled in the Medicare Part D plan that's best for you. Sarah Anderson, pharmacist and senior director of clinical resources and programming at the National MS Society, joins me to help us decipher those changes and navigate the so...
Oct 14, 2024•29 min•Season 8Ep. 372
In the seven years that I've been hosting RealTalk MS, no one has ever described a mobility device as life-changing . That is until listener Dee Ecklund reached out to tell me about her experience with the Alinker. One of my goals in producing this podcast is to introduce the RealTalk MS listener community to people who are difference-makers. And Dee's initial DM led to my conversation with Dee and the inventor of the Alinker, a true difference-maker, BE Alink. The National MS Society's 3rd annu...
Oct 07, 2024•39 min•Season 8Ep. 371
With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Jiwon Oh. Dr. Oh is a neurologist, scientist, and the Medical Director of the Barlo Multiple Sclerosis Program at St. Michael’s Hospit...
Oct 03, 2024•8 min
In 2020, the National MS Society convened the Pathways to Cures Think Tank. I shared news and interviews from what I considered a historic meeting back in Episode 125 of RealTalk MS. The information shared and the work generated by that Think Tank led to the Pathways to Cures Global Summit in 2023. In Episodes 297 and 298 of RealTalk MS, I shared news and interviews from what I described as yet another historic meeting. The Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap has been updated, and I'm devoting th...
Sep 30, 2024•32 min•Season 8Ep. 370
With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Peter Calabresi. Dr. Peter Calabresi is the Director of the Division of Neuroimmunology and the Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Cen...
Sep 28, 2024•9 min
With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Rachel Horne and Professor Kerstin Hellwig. Professor Kerstin Hellwig is the 2024 recipient of the Rachel Horne Prize for Women's Research...
Sep 25, 2024•12 min
ECTRIMS 2024, the largest MS research conference in the world concluded last week, and in this week's episode, we'll be hearing two slightly different perspectives on which news, announcements, and presentations stood out at this year's meeting. The ECTRIMS conference can feel almost overwhelming. You find yourself among 9 or 10 thousand other attendees, trying to determine which of the more than 1700 scientific presentations you want to learn more about. It's both a marathon and a sprint that s...
Sep 23, 2024•31 min•Season 8Ep. 369
With more than 9,000 MS researchers and clinicians in attendance, the 2024 ECTRIMS meeting in Copenhagen was the largest MS research conference in the world. During the meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with some of the best and brightest minds in MS research and clinical practice. This is your invitation to listen in on my ECTRIMS EXTRA conversation with Dr. Fred Lublin. Dr. Fred Lublin is the Director of the Corrine Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai. He parti...
Sep 21, 2024•7 min
Living with the unpredictability of MS sometimes feels like riding a rollercoaster. As you experience the twists and turns of life with MS, you can sometimes feel unmoored from the person you thought you were. You can sense your priorities, motivations, and values shifting. And, in those moments, it becomes easy to lose your sense of purpose. Clinical assistant professor and rehabilitation psychologist at the University of Michigan, Dr. Evan Smith, joins me to discuss how to identify and reconne...
Sep 16, 2024•35 min•Season 7Ep. 368
Living with MS is expensive. A recent study funded by the National MS Society found the average cost of living with MS in the United States is $88,487 a year. Even with insurance, that can turn out to be a heavy lift. One thing you don't need is to be worrying about money while you're already worrying about MS. So, when I think about discussing budgeting and managing your personal finances when you're living with MS, I think we're really talking about preserving your quality of life. Joining me ...
Sep 09, 2024•35 min•Season 7Ep. 367
Most of us know Medicare as health insurance for Americans who are 65 or older, but when they qualify for Social Security disability benefits, people younger than 65 automatically qualify for Medicare. Today, between 25 and 30% of the people living with MS are Medicare beneficiaries. Whether you already have Medicare or you'll be signing up for Medicare in the future, getting the right coverage requires making some important choices. Licensed Medicare Advisor Laquel Thomas joins me with tips, st...
Sep 02, 2024•35 min•Season 7Ep. 366
