Multiple sclerosis and primary vascular dysregulation (Flammer syndrome)

Abstract

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS of still unknown aetiology. Flammer syndrome (FS) encompasses a set of symptoms and signs that are primarily but not solely related to the dysregulation of blood vessels. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether FS symptoms occur more often in MS patients than in controls.MethodsFifty-eight MS patients and 259 controls answered a questionnaire covering 15 symptoms and signs of FS.ResultsSix of the 15 symptoms and signs of FS (dizziness, low body mass index, cold hands and/or feet, tendency toward perfectionism, reduced thirst, feeling cold) were found significantly more often in MS patients than in controls. Seven additional symptoms and signs (tinnitus, headaches, increased pain sensation, long sleep-onset time, migraines, increased response to certain drugs, low blood pressure) also occurred more often in MS patients, but the difference in frequency was not statistically significant. One sign (reversible skin blotches) was found less often in MS patients, but the difference in frequency was not statistically significant. One symptom (increased smell perception) was found significantly less often in MS patients.ConclusionsMS patients suffer significantly more often from FS symptoms and signs than controls. The reason for this association between MS and FS and the potential implications of this association still need to be determined.

Breast cancer and Flammer syndrome: any symptoms in common for prediction, prevention and personalised medical approach?

“…FS plays a role in the pathology of retinitis pigmentosa [12]. Symptoms of FS have been described in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis [13].…”

“…It is based on the knowledge currently available and collected since the phenomenon has been described [3,14,15]. The actual version of the FS questionnaire has been successfully applied to study different populations [16], FS symptomatic in retinitis pigmentosa [17] as well as in multiple sclerosis [13] and other clinically relevant patient cohorts [18,19]. With the permanently growing knowledge about the FS, the dedicated questionnaire should be, further, adapted and improved.…”

“…All individual parameters (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15), the prevalence of which has been evaluated in the study, are functionally well linked to each other and altogether demonstrate systemic alterations of the affected person. Although individual BC subtypes differ from each other in the prevalence distribution, all of them demonstrate systemic alterations compared to the diseasefree individuals.…”

Postmenopausal breast cancer: European challenge and innovative concepts

“…The FS-related questionnaire utilised in the current study has been developed by the fielddedicated research group at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. The actual version of the FS-specialised questionnaire has been successfully applied to several international studies [17][18][19][20][21][22] and recently utilised for the multicentred pilot project focused on the breast cancer and metastatic disease [4,5].…”

“…The age difference was evaluated as statistically non-significant. Postmenopausal breast cancer group demonstrated in average the BMI = 26 (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34). Fifty percent of this group were overweight persons and 20% were diagnosed with diabetes type 2.…”