Possible Links Between Endothelial Health and MS

Possible Links Between Endothelial Health and MS

If you or a loved one suffers from MS, you know how debilitating, painful, and incapacitating that condition can be.  Consequently, every new development and treatment in the field has the potential to bring real change to the lives of those affected with the condition.  Recent studies have been indicating possible links between endothelial health and MS.  Let’s take a look at this possible link, and the implications.

First, you have to start with a basic understanding of endothelial health, as well as how the mechanism of that physical system intersects with the pathology of MS.  We will start with multiple sclerosis; as you are likely already aware, MS itself is a condition in which the coverings of nerve cells are damaged, impacting their ability to communicate properly.

The endothelial system, on the other hand, is the protective system of your body’s circulatory system.  Much how the nerves have ‘coverings’ which are damaged to cause MS in the first place, your circulatory pathways are protected by endothelial cells, which  line the insides of your veins, capillaries, and arteries.

Until fairly recently, endothelial health was not even recognized as something important to a body.  The endothelia were thought of as being relatively inert, simply there to protect the circulatory cells.  This all changed when people began to realize that endothelial health plays an integral role in the circulatory and endocrine systems themselves.  Within a circulatory context, endothelial health is responsible for regulating your blood pressure, coagulation, and several other incredible important functions.  Within the context of hormones, the 60,000 cumulative miles of endothelial cells within your body are extremely important for the secretion of enzymes, hormones, and other chemical compounds.

So how do the two systems tie together?

Usually, it will start with a person causing damage to their endothelial health.  This can either be due to genetic factors or lifestyle choices (stress, eating bad fat, sleep deprivation, and more all can cause endothelial damage).  Once damaged, this leads to an imbalance in your nitric oxide levels, which then can impact the endothelial signaling inside your body.  At that point, it then disrupts the circulatory and endocrine systems, and it is these larger systemic disruptions that can aggravate MS.

Taking care of your endothelial health can offer many benefits; not only will you reduce the risk of developing numerous medical conditions such as MS, but you will also make reduce the risk of heart disease and blood pressure issues at the same time.