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 <