Is Severe Stress Associated with the Development of Multiple Sclerosis?

Previous studies have suggested that multiple sclerosis (MS) worsens in response to stressful events (JW Neuro Jun 24 2004), potentially because stress can alter immune regulation. To determine whether severe stress is associated with the initial development of MS, researchers analyzed prospective data from 94,185 women who answered detailed questionnaires in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) or the NHS II; 369 (0.4%) eventually developed MS.

Of the entire cohort, 8% reported severe home stress, 11% reported severe work stress, 7% reported severe physical abuse during childhood or adolescence, and 11% reported early sexual abuse. After adjustment for potentially confounding factors (age, ethnicity, geographic latitude of birth, body-mass index,…