Multiple Sclerosis: Associated Cardiometabolic Risks and Impact of Exercise Therapy

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory neurological disorder in young adults. Due to heterogeneous symptoms, MS patients are often more inactive than healthy controls, resulting in an inactivity related physiological profile. In healthy people, physical inactivity can contribute to the development of an increased cardiometabolic risk state including the combined presence of cardiovascular risk factors (increased cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, body fat, glucose intolerance/insulin resistance, inflammation and reduced heart function/autonomic control). In other populations, these secondary health complications can be, in part, reduced by physical exercise, which is often used as the primary treatment strategy. Since the impact of exercise on cardiovascular risk factors in MS is unknown the present project first aims to explore this in a pilot trial and a controlled research setting (during 12 weeks). A better understanding of the above described risk factors and underlying physiological mechanisms will reduce the incidence of preventable comorbidities in MS and will further improve the multidisciplinary treatment of MS patients and MS rehabilitation in particular. Interestingly, the investigators already reported an elevated prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in MS, but it is not clear whether the cardiometabolic state in MS is also impaired. Therefore, in a second part, the researchers will explore whether MS patients present a higher risk to develop cardiovascular diseases, as measured by the assessment of various cardiovascular risk factors, compared to healthy controls.