Multiple Sclerosis. Biological & Biomedical Sciences Term Paper

Multiple Sclerosis
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Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system eats away the covering on nerves resulting in disruption of the Central Nervous System (CNS) (Sadovnick, 2019). With the CNS having been disrupted, the patient experiences difficulties in communication and coordination between the brain and the rest of the body. The patient may exhibit a range of symptoms including impaired vision, fatigue and pain. In the United States, the disease affects mostly young adults and its estimated to be affecting at least 0.24% of the population and at least 0.1% in European nations (Miljković & Spasojević, 2013). Notably, the disease is caused by a number of environmental factors such as high latitudes, low levels of vitamin D at childhood and smoking.
Vitamin D is known as a basic component for healthy growth of a child while in the stomach or even when they have been born. While in the uterus, the baby receives the vitamins from its mother. Lack of the vitamin D while the baby is developing in the womb can lead to development of multiple sclerosis (Toro et al. 2020). Vitamin D is first absorbed into the body and converted through the hydroxylation process in the liver. Then its also converted in the kidney to produce an active form of 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D. It’s then used in calcium metabolism which is utilized by the body in making of bones and overall body immunity (Wood, 2017). Studies on mice that had sufficient vitamin D could not be affected by multiple sclerosis. The understanding is that the hormonal form of Vitamin D is an immune regulator and therefore inhibits development of the disease. Notably, Vitamin D can be supplemented with sunlight and other meals such as eating oily fish or fortified breakfast cereals. Should the baby miss these supplements then they are likely to develop MS.
Latitude has also been identified as one of the risk factors for multiple sclerosis. Scandinavian countries have been identified among the hardest hit with multiple sclerosis because of the cold climates in the region, which makes it difficult in terms of accessing sunlight, a basic ingredient of Vitamin D (Sadovnick, 2019). A research led by led by Bruce Taylor at the University of Tasmania, Australia, found out a relationship between early onsets of MS at higher latitude. The researchers focused on the age of disease onset in their study and obtained data on 22,162 patients with MS. The researchers found that the average age of onset for MS was 2 years for people at higher latitudinal regions (50.0–56.0°) than in those living at lower latitudes (19.0–39.9°) (Wood, 2017).
The third environmental factor is cigarette smoking as it provides a modified environment for the pathogenesis of the disease. A study that was conducted in 2009 by Marrie and her colleagues in North America, the findings indicated 50% of MS patients were smokers or ex-smokers. O'Gorman, Lucas and Taylor, (2012), in their meta-analysis identified smoking as a significant risk factor in terms of developing the disease at early stages among smoking pregnant mothers. They further indicated there was a correlation that extended even to passiv...