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RealTalk MS: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jon Strum
Jon Strum cuts through all the jargon and breaks down the latest multiple sclerosis news. You'll meet the scientists who are creating tomorrow's MS treatments today. You'll hear from the experts discussing how the latest tweaks and changes to our healthcare laws will impact your MS treatment. And we'll be talking to the courageous MS warriors who are out there advocating on behalf of the MS community every day, as well as the men and women who are committed to living their best lives with MS and living their best lives as MS caregivers. If you're dealing with multiple sclerosis in your life -- as a patient, caregiver, family member, or friend -- join us each week for RealTalk MS.
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- 6 days ago34 min
Episode 472: ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Patient Community Day Preview with Brett Drummond and Dr. Jennifer Graves
We are less than 40 days away from MSToronto2026—the joint ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS Scientific Congress. While the congress brings together the world's leading MS researchers and clinicians, Patient Community Day —in person and online—is designed specifically for people affected by multiple sclerosis. This week, Dr. Jennifer Graves and Brett Drummond join me to preview what to expect from Patient Community Day 2026. With less than 50 days until the midterm elections in the United States, the National MS Society is hosting a webinar you can't afford to miss, titled MS Advocacy in Action: What the 2026 Elections Could Mean for Healthcare Policy and Access to Care. We'll tell you how to register (And we'll remind you why you should!). A 22-country survey of over 17,000 people with MS revealed that the invisible symptoms of MS remain critically unaddressed. We're sharing the details of this landmark survey. We're sharing early trial results of a precision red blood cell therapy designed to halt myelin attacks without shutting down the immune system. We'll tell you about the German research team that's repurposing a common, low-cost medication into a skin patch designed to jumpstart natural remyelination. And we'll share a study showing how simple, short voice recordings can predict long-term cognitive changes and brain volume loss in people living with MS. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: A preview of Patient Community Day 2026 :22 The National MS Society is hosting a webinar you shouldn't miss 1:32 Results of a landmark survey reveal critical unmet needs among people living with MS 5:27 A new approach to preventing MS inflammatory attacks while keeping the rest of the immune system intact 8:27 Could a skin patch successfully promote myelin repair? 11:42 Can analyzing regular speech predict future brain atrophy in people with MS? 14:34 Dr. Jennifer Graves and Brett Drummond give us a preview of Patient Community Day 2026 18:53 Share this episode 33:01 Next week 33:20 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/472 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026 https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu WEBINAR: Advocacy In Action: What the 2026 Elections Could Mean for Healthcare Policy and Access to Care https://nmss.quorum.us/event/37051 S
- 1 weeks ago40 min
Episode 471: Navigating an MS Relapse with Dr. F. Gabriela Karolidis
Relapses make life with MS unpredictable. Understanding what they are, why they happen, and how best to manage them can make a relapse less scary and easier to navigate. This week, Dr. Gabriela Karolidis, a board-certified neurologist and neuroimmunologist at Thomas Jefferson University, joins us for a deep dive into MS relapses. The MS International Federation has just updated the Atlas of MS, showing more than 3 million people living with MS worldwide. We're sharing the details behind the new numbers. We'll also share a study showing how wearable activity trackers add a dimension of real-world data that provides a more complete picture of an individual's mobility throughout the day. We'll tell you about research on Vitamin D supplements that fails to determine whether they are beneficial for people living with MS. We're sharing study results showing that social and socioeconomic factors clearly affect cognitive function among people living with MS. We're also sharing results from a nationwide study in Denmark that focused on whether high-efficacy DMTs affect progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA). And we'll tell you about a fall prevention study that you may be eligible to participate in (compensation provided!). We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Navigating a relapse :22 Global MS prevalence surpasses 3 million :57 A study shows that wearable activity trackers help create a more complete picture of an individual's mobility 6:38 Researchers attempt to determine whether Vitamin D supplements help people living with MS 10:14 A study provides evidence that social and socioeconomic factors impact cognitive function in people living with MS 13:58 A nationwide study in Denmark focuses on whether high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies have an impact on progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) 17:20 You may be eligible to participate in a fall prevention study (compensation is provided) 21:11 Dr. F. Gabriela Karolidis takes us on a deep dive into MS relapses 22:58 Share this episode 37:52 Next week 38:12 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/471 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Global Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis Surpasses 3 Million: 2024 Update of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Atlas of MS https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585261479954 RESOURCE: Multiple Sclerosis I
- 2 weeks ago30 min
Episode 470: 42 Marathons in 42 Days with Benji Wilkins
Wise men and women remind us that life is a marathon, and not a sprint. Joining us this week is Benji Wilkins. Benji is a magician in the U.K., and for 42 days this summer, his life was quite literally a marathon. In the process, Benji raised money to help his mom, who lives with MS, and he raised awareness of MS across the U.K. and around the world. We're also sharing results of a study that focused on gait training using a powered exoskeleton for people living with MS. We'll tell you how you can participate in the MOMENT-MS study and help researchers develop a smartphone app that takes a novel approach to managing MS-related pain. And we're reminding you to register for ECTRIMS Patient Community Day. It's your opportunity to participate in the largest MS research conference in the world! We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Running a marathon a day (when you're not a runner) for MS :22 Cleveland Clinic researchers look at gait training using a powered exoskeleton for people with MS 1:02 University of Washington researchers are developing an app to manage MS pain using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. And you can help them! 6:53 Sign up to participate in the largest MS research conference in the world 5:27 Benji Wilkins describes what it's like to run 42 marathons in 42 days on behalf of his mom, who lives with MS 6:53 Share this episode 29:01 Next week 29:20 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/470 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Feasibility and Outcomes of Gait Training With a Powered Exoskeleton in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40465831 SUPPORT: Marathons For Mum Web: https://marathonsformum.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/benjitwilkins PARTICIPATE: MOMENT-MS Study Web: https://uwmsrehabwell.org/moment-ms Email: momentms@uw.edu Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6TA5-9dy7s REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Dayhttps://ectri
- 3 weeks ago43 min
Episode 469: Maintaining and Even Improving Cognitive Function If You're Living with MS with Dr. Anna Kratz
Cognitive changes in MS—fluctuations in processing speed, memory, and executive function—can significantly impact daily life, yet they're often misunderstood or overlooked in routine clinical exams. This week, we are joined by Dr. Anna Kratz, clinical psychologist and Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan, to discuss actionable, evidence-based ways to navigate cognitive challenges. Dr. Kratz breaks down the latest findings from the CogDetect-MS study, exploring how daily symptom fluctuations, complex medication regimens, and common substances like caffeine and cannabis influence brain fog. She also shares practical compensatory workarounds and introduces a no-cost digital self-management resource, My MSToolKit. We'll also explain the new framework for describing MS that's been proposed by the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis. We're sharing study results that reveal why detecting even a single silent lesion on an MRI should trigger an immediate conversation about stepping up to high-efficacy therapy. And we'll tell you about 2 advanced MRI markers that can predict future cognitive decline — even in the absence of any relapses or new lesions on MRI. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Maintaining and improving cognitive function :22 The International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis calls for updating the way MS is described 1:12 A study provides evidence for switching your DMT when there's even a single silent lesion on your MRI 6:53 Scientists identify two MRI markers that can predict future cognitive decline in early relapsing-remitting MS 10:53 Dr. Anna Kratz discusses maintaining and improving cognitive function 15:33 Share this episode 42:13 Next week 42:33 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/469 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com PAPER: Towards a Biologically Informed Description of Multiple Sclerosis Disease Course -- A Roadmap for Transition https://rdcu.be/fxBw1 STUDY: Treatment Escalation After Clinically Silent MRI Lesions in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis https://academic.oup.com/brain/advance-article/doi/10.1093/brain/awag252/8741305 STUDY: Paramagnetic Rim Lesions and Choroid Plexus Volume at Diagnosis Are Associated With Cognitive Progression Independent of Relapse and MRI Activity in Early Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis<br /
- Aug 17, 202638 min
Episode 468: You've Been Given a 15% Chance of Living and Your Spouse Gets Diagnosed with MS with Kathleen Silva
Imagine your spouse or significant other has been diagnosed with MS...shortly after you were diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, and given just a 15% chance of survival. All of a sudden, the roles of patient and care partner are up for grabs -- and they change with almost daily frequency. That's exactly the scenario my guest, Kathleen Silva, faced. Kathleen is joining me to discuss how she and her husband, Rick, survived and thrived amid that frightening chaos. (Spoiler alert -- no one died!) We'll also tell you about an investigational drug that's the first to promise neuroprotection during an MS relapse. We're sharing study results that show people with MS who meet the medical criteria aren't jumping on the GLP-1 bandwagon. We'll provide compelling evidence for anyone with MS to quit smoking. And we're breaking down the results of a study that analyzed mortality rates in cases where MS was listed as the underlying cause of death. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: When the roles of patient and care partner get turned upside down and inside out :22 The FDA green lights clinical trials for an investigational drug that promises neuroprotection during an MS relapse 1:08 People living with MS who meet the medical criteria aren't jumping on the GLP-1 bandwagon 5:43 Study results provide startling evidence for quitting smoking if you're living with MS 8:34 In spite of highly effective DMTs, mortality rates for deaths in which MS is listed as the underlying cause are increasing 14:05 Kathleen Silva takes us through the harrowing time in her life when her husband, Rick, was diagnosed with MS shortly after she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and given just a 15% chance of surviving 19:23 Share this episode 35:12 Next week 36:31 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/468 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Use of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide Among People with Multiple Sclerosis https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585261442033 STUDY: Impact of Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption on Disease Progression and MRI In People With Multiple Sclerosis: Results of the Prospective Cohort Study NationMS https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17562864261464304 STUDY: Racial and Ethnic Trends and Comorbidity Patterns in Multiple Sclerosis Mortality <a href= "https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WN9.00
- Aug 10, 202633 min
Episode 467: Making Shared Decision-Making Work with Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia and Linda Lachman
If you Google the term "shared decision making", you'll find it defined as a collaborative process where patients and clinicians work together to select tests, treatments, and care plans based on clinical evidence and the patient's personal values and goals. But shared decision-making isn't an automatic happy pill. It takes work, it takes discipline, and it takes a clear understanding of both the patient's and the clinician's roles. This week, Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia and Linda Lachman join me to share how shared decision-making has worked for them over the course of their longtime doctor-patient relationship, and how it can work for you. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're taking a deep dive into shared decision-making :22 Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia and Linda Lachman discuss how they have made shared decision-making work, and what to do if it isn't working for you and your neurologist 2:39 Share this episode 32:05 Next week 32:25 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/467 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 467 Guests: Dr. Aliza Ben-Zacharia and Linda Lachman Privacy Policy
- Aug 3, 202627 min
Episode 466: Everything You Ought to Know About Diet and MS with Dr. Tyler Titcomb
We get more listener emails about diet and MS than almost any other topic. If you're curious about how some of the well-known diets for MS actually stack up, or you're interested in understanding the connection between diet and MS-related fatigue, or you want to know what the biggest obstacle to staying on a new diet is (and this may surprise you), then this is the episode for you. We're devoting this week's entire episode to my conversation with Dr. Tyler Titcomb, an assistant professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, and a registered dietitian with a PhD in Nutritional Sciences in the Department of Neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're taking a deep dive into diet and MS :22 Dr. Tyler Titcomb breaks down what you need to know about how diet influences multiple sclerosis and why it plays such a key role. :54 Share this episode 25:22 Next week 25:41 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/466 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 466 Guest: Dr. Tyler Titcomb Privacy Policy
- Jul 27, 202637 min
Episode 465: On Being an MS Specialist In A Country That Believed MS Was Non-Existent with Dr. Avinash Chandra
During his fellowship in the United States, Dr. Avinash Chandra trained to become an MS specialist at a world-class MS center. Then he returned home to Nepal and discovered that MS was largely considered non-existent. But Dr. Chandra knew it wasn't. In this week's episode, Dr. Chandra discusses his experience creating a framework for MS care in Nepal that hadn't existed before. He also explains the necessary trade-offs in providing costly medical treatment in a country where the average family of four lives on an income of $500 a month. It's been well-established that males living with MS tend to experience faster and more severe disease progression than females. We're sharing results of a study that shows clear differences in healthcare use by sex up to a decade before the onset of MS. We'll tell you about a newly published review of 30 years of data measuring the efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT). And we're sharing the registration details for ECTRIMS Community Patient Day (it's a free live and online event you won't want to miss!) We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: MS care in a country that considered MS non-existent :22 A study analyzed sex differences in healthcare usage between males and females with MS up to a decade before the first MS symptom develops 1:45 30 years of accumulated data show significant benefits of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in treating relapsing forms of MS 6:17 It's time to support the National MS Society's $119.6 million active investment in MS research 9:32 Dr. Avniash Chandra discusses MS care in Nepal 12:43 Share this episode 35:40 Next week 36:01 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/465 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com STUDY: Sex Differences in Healthcare Use Before the First Multiple Sclerosis-Related Demyelinating Event https://www.msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(26)00396-2/fulltext PLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARY: Sex Differences in Healthcare Use Before the First Multiple Sclerosis-Related Demyelinating Event https://tremlettsmsresearchexplained.wordpress.com/2026/07/22/sex-differences-in-healthcare-use-before-the-first-multiple-sclerosis-related-demyelinating-event-explained LISTEN: Dr. Helen Tremlett Discusses the MS Prodrome <
About RealTalk MS
Jon Strum cuts through all the jargon and breaks down the latest multiple sclerosis news. You'll meet the scientists who are creating tomorrow's MS treatments today. You'll hear from the experts discussing how the latest tweaks and changes to our healthcare laws will impact your MS treatment. And we'll be talking to the courageous MS warriors who are out there advocating on behalf of the MS community every day, as well as the men and women who are committed to living their best lives with MS and living their best lives as MS caregivers. If you're dealing with multiple sclerosis in your life -- as a patient, caregiver, family member, or friend -- join us each week for RealTalk MS.
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