Multiplehttp://msj.sagepub.com/ Sclerosis Journal
Response to letter from Dr KL Munger, 'Childhood obesity is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis' Anne-Louise Ponsonby Mult Scler 2013 19: 1801 DOI: 10.1177/1352458513507359 The online version of this article can be found at: http://msj.sagepub.com/content/19/13/1801
Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com
On behalf of: European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Pan-Asian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Latin American Committee on Treatment and Research of Multiple Sclerosis
Additional services and information for Multiple Sclerosis Journal can be found at: Email Alerts: http://msj.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://msj.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Downloaded from msj.sagepub.com at UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich on July 11, 2014
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507359 2013
MSJ191310.1177/1352458513507359Multiple Sclerosis JournalPonsonby
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS MSJ JOURNAL
Letter to the Editor
Multiple Sclerosis Journal 19(13) 1801 © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1352458513507359 msj.sagepub.com
Response to letter from Dr KL Munger, ‘Childhood obesity is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis’
event incidence. This does not mean that prevention of childhood or adolescent obesity is not important – any magnitude of potential reduction, even if not large, for the onset of MS is important. We thank you for your letter.
With reference to the letter from Dr Munger, we agree that childhood and adolescent obesity may be associated with a higher risk of multiple sclerosis onset. In our paper,1 we specifically stated in the Discussion that our findings related to body mass index in adulthood and we could not rule out an effect for adolescent obesity. The Abstract, due to space limitations given that we were reporting on multiple factors, possibly did not highlight this sufficiently. We are unable to comment on the magnitude of contribution (15%) reported above because we do not have access to the methods used. However, it seems consistent with the concluding sentence in the full paper1 that successful prevention activities for common adult co-morbidities will not lead to a large reduction in first clinical demyelinating
Conflict of interest The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
Reference 1. Ponsonby AL, Lucas RM, Dear K, et al. The physical anthropometry, lifestyle habits and blood pressure of people presenting with a first clinical demyelinating event compared to controls: The Ausimmune study. Mult Scler 2013 May 13. [Epub ahead of print].
Corresponding author: Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (IIE), Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Response to letter from Dr KL Munger, 'Childhood obesity is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis' Anne-Louise Ponsonby Mult Scler 2013 19: 1801 DOI: 10.1177/1352458513507359 The online version of this article can be found at: http://msj.sagepub.com/content/19/13/1801
Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com
On behalf of: European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Pan-Asian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis
Latin American Committee on Treatment and Research of Multiple Sclerosis
Additional services and information for Multiple Sclerosis Journal can be found at: Email Alerts: http://msj.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://msj.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Downloaded from msj.sagepub.com at UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich on July 11, 2014
>> Version of Record - Nov 11, 2013 What is This?
Downloaded from msj.sagepub.com at UZH Hauptbibliothek / Zentralbibliothek Zürich on July 11, 2014
507359 2013
MSJ191310.1177/1352458513507359Multiple Sclerosis JournalPonsonby
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS MSJ JOURNAL
Letter to the Editor
Multiple Sclerosis Journal 19(13) 1801 © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1352458513507359 msj.sagepub.com
Response to letter from Dr KL Munger, ‘Childhood obesity is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis’
event incidence. This does not mean that prevention of childhood or adolescent obesity is not important – any magnitude of potential reduction, even if not large, for the onset of MS is important. We thank you for your letter.
With reference to the letter from Dr Munger, we agree that childhood and adolescent obesity may be associated with a higher risk of multiple sclerosis onset. In our paper,1 we specifically stated in the Discussion that our findings related to body mass index in adulthood and we could not rule out an effect for adolescent obesity. The Abstract, due to space limitations given that we were reporting on multiple factors, possibly did not highlight this sufficiently. We are unable to comment on the magnitude of contribution (15%) reported above because we do not have access to the methods used. However, it seems consistent with the concluding sentence in the full paper1 that successful prevention activities for common adult co-morbidities will not lead to a large reduction in first clinical demyelinating
Conflict of interest The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
Reference 1. Ponsonby AL, Lucas RM, Dear K, et al. The physical anthropometry, lifestyle habits and blood pressure of people presenting with a first clinical demyelinating event compared to controls: The Ausimmune study. Mult Scler 2013 May 13. [Epub ahead of print].
Corresponding author: Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (IIE), Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia. Email: [email protected]
