title: Effect of low saturated fat diet in early and late cases of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: 144 multiple sclerosis patients took a low-fat diet for 34 years. For each of three categories of neurological disability (minimum, moderate, severe) patients who adhered to the prescribed diet (less than or equal to 20 g fat/day) showed significantly less deterioration and much lower death rates than did those who consumed more fat than prescribed (greater than 20 g fat/day). The greatest benefit was seen in those with minimum disability at the start of the trial; in this group, when those who died from non-MS diseases were excluded from the analysis, 95% survived and remained physically active.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Swank
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Dugan
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated