Genetic Risk Insights May Predict MS, Save Sight in Youth miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Young people could be spared from going blind by a new genetic risk tool that could also help diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) earlier, to start effective treatments.
Genetic Tool May Predict MS, Save Sight in Youth miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
<p>Optic neuritis occurs because of swelling in or around the optic nerve. For those with MS-related optic neuritis, the swelling subsides on its own, and vision usually recovers. For many people whose optic neuritis does not result from MS, the optic nerve can be permanently damaged unless high doses of steroids are given quickly, resulting in loss of sight. However, steroids can result in harmful side effects. When people first develop optic neuritis, it can be difficult for patients and their doctors to decide whether the possible benefits of steroid outweigh the possible harms, when the likely cause of the optic neuritis is unclear.</p>
<p>Identifying whether there is an underlying cause of optic neuritis can be challenging for clinicians, with many important test results taking weeks to return. Now, new research, published in <em>Nature Communications</em> and led by the University of Exeter and King’s College London, has shown for the firs