Remarkable adherence
Commenting on the study, Shaheen E. Lakhan, MD, PhD, a neurologist in Boston, noted that “variations of the ketogenic diet have been popularized in the general population for weight loss and further studied for other medical conditions [that are] largely immune-related, including MS.”
He noted that it was “remarkable” that the vast majority of study participants with MS adhered to the very regimented ketogenic diet for 6 months.
Seeing this translate into the real world “will be the next milestone, in addition to its impact on relapses and brain lesions as seen on MRI,” which are the classic markers of MS, said Dr. Lakhan, who was not involved with the research.
He cautioned that “even if one can follow the ketogenic diet, certain conditions can be made worse. This includes kidney stones, liver disease, reflux, constipation, and other metabolic disorders.”
The study was funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health and by the ZiMS Foundation. Dr. Brenton and Dr. Lakhan have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.