RealTalk MS

• Episode 428: The Effects of Smoking, Consuming Alcohol, and Consuming Caffeine on Your MS with Dr. Barbara Giesser

  As researchers continue to learn about MS, it becomes clear that you can change the trajectory of your MS journey and improve your quality of life by making smart lifestyle choices. Quitting smoking and watching your alcohol and caffeine consumption are smart choices for everyone, and they can pay especially big dividends if you're living with MS. This week, Dr. Barbara Giesser discusses how smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine can impact your MS. We're also sharing the details about the Black MS Experience Summit taking place on November 12th, and the Hispanic LatinX MS Experience Summit taking place on November 19th. We'll tell you about a study that revealed what may be a novel way of stimulating remyelination. You'll meet Dr. Arman Eshaghi and hear about how artificial intelligence may impact your future MRI exam. We'll share study results that show that carbohydrate consumption may increase the risk of an individual developing MS. And we'll tell you about a study that looked at the connection between starting a disease-modifying therapy early and quality of life related to cognitive function and fatigue. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: What you need to know about how smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine impact your MS  :22 The Black MS Experience Summit is TOMORROW!  1:32 The National MS Society is hosting the Hispanic LatinX MS Experience Summit on Nov 19th  2:33 Study results indicate the path to myelin repair may require subtraction, not addition  3:04 Dr. Arman Eshaghi discusses how AI may change how MRI scans are interpreted  5:12 Study results show a connection between carbohydrate intake and MS risk  15:10 Study results show how starting a DMT early impacts quality of life related to cognitive function and fatigue among people with MS  17:55 Dr. Barbara Giesser discusses how smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine impact people living with MS  21:38 Share this episode  31:07 Next week's episode  31:27 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/428 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: [email protected] 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 in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Online Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy WATCH: The RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra Conversations video playlist on YouTube https://realtalkms.com/ectrims2025 STUDY: Gt2fi-Encoded Transcription Factor Tfii-i Regulates Myelin Via Sox10 and Mbp Regulatory Elements https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63500-4 STUDY: Association Between Dietary Carbohydrate Intake and Multiple Sclerosis Risk: A Large-Scale Cohort Study https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1654538/full STUDY: Self-Reported Quality of Life Related to Cognitive Function and Fatigue in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211034825005516 REGISTER: The Black MS Experience Summit https://nationalmssociety.org/resources/get-support/education-programs-and-library/black-ms-experience REGISTER: The Hispanic LatinX MS Experience Summit https://nationalmssociety.org/resources/get-support/education-programs-and-library/hispanic-latinx-ms-experience 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 Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 428 Guests: Dr. Arman Eshaghi, Dr. Barbara Giesser Privacy Policy

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• Episode 427: Science-Based Vaccine Guidance for People Living with MS with Dr. Lisa Doggett

  When you're living with a chronic condition like MS, you want to be sure you're doing everything you can to preserve and promote good health. And, right now, you may be feeling confused about whether you should be getting vaccinated, and which vaccines are safe. It's understandable. Unfortunately, there's a lot of confusing information about vaccines and vaccinations floating around out there.  This week, Dr. Lisa Doggett helps us get past all the unnecessary noise and hysteria and reviews the science-based vaccine recommendations for people living with MS.  We're also talking about the historic meeting that took place last week between the FDA and people affected by MS. We're sharing dramatic results from the largest study of its kind that measured the true impact of MS on quality of life. And we're giving you all the details about the National MS Society's upcoming Black MS Experience Summit. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Reliable, science-based vaccine guidance for people living with MS  :22 An historic meeting between the FDA and the MS community   1:17 The largest study of its kind shows the true impact of MS on quality of life  3:13 The National MS Society is hosting the Black MS Experience Summit on Nov 12th  4:40 Dr. Lisa Doggett covers everything you need to know about vaccines and MS   6:22 Share this episode  26:10 Next week's episode  26:30 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/427 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: [email protected] 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 in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Online Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy WATCH: The RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra Conversations video playlist on YouTube https://realtalkms.com/ectrims2025 STUDY: EQ-5D-5L In Multiple Sclerosis: Estimated Utility Values, Minimal (Clinically) Important Changes, and Direct and Indirect Influences Over Time https://valueinhealthjournal.com/article/S1098-3015(25)02486-6/fulltext REGISTER: The Black MS Experience Summit https://nationalmssociety.org/resources/get-support/education-programs-and-library/black-ms-experience 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 Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 427 Guests: Dr. Lisa Doggett Privacy Policy

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• Episode 426: Fighting Her Way Through the Health Insurance Maze with Cassandra Ashby

  Some disease-modifying therapies can change the trajectory of your MS journey. But gaining access to those medications isn't always as easy or straightforward as it should be. In the United States, insurance companies are most often the gatekeepers to prescription medications.  This week, Cassandra Ashby shares a story that many of you may already be too familiar with, as she takes us through her family's long, hard, and confusing struggle to get the DMT that her newly-diagnosed daughter's neurologist prescribed. I We're also talking about the game-changing results of a study that demonstrate MS-related damage to the brain occurs years before the very first symptom becomes apparent. And we're explaining why this opens the door to treatment that may stop MS symptoms from even developing. We're giving you a heads-up about changes to the way health records for MS patients are being coded, and how these changes are already creating obstacles to accessing the disease-modifying therapy that you may have been taking for months or years. And we're reminding you that you still have time to register to participate virtually in tomorrow's historic meeting between people with MS and the FDA We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: The sometimes overwhelming challenge of gaining access to the disease-modifying therapy that's been prescribed by your MS Specialist  :22 Study results demonstrate MS-related brain damage occurs years before MS symptoms   1:22 What are ICD-10 codes, and why do the latest changes to these codes pose potential challenges for people living with MS?  5:52 You can participate virtually in tomorrow's meeting between people with MS and the FDA  9:23 Cassandra Ashby shares her family's long, hard, and confusing struggle with their insurance company  10:56 Share this episode  31:06 Next week's episode  31:26 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/426 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: [email protected] 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 in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463 SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy STUDY: Myelin Injury Precedes Axonal Injury and Symptomatic Onset in Multiple Sclerosis https://nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04014-w WATCH: The RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra Conversations video playlist on YouTube https://realtalkms.com/ectrims2025 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 Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 426 Guests: Cassandra Ashby Privacy Policy

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• Episode 425: The ECTRIMS 2025 Deep Dive with Dr. Bruce Bebo

  Just about a month ago, 9,600 researchers, clinicians, and representatives from patient advocacy organizations gathered in Barcelona for the European Committee on Treatment and Research in MS annual scientific congress, better known as ECTRIMS, the largest MS research conference in the world. Now that he's had an opportunity to review his notes and digest all of the science presented at ECTRIMS 2025, Dr. Bruce Bebo, the National MS Society's Executive Vice-President of Research, returns to the podcast to take us on a deep dive covering some of the most important research presented this year. We're also talking about next-generation CAR T-cell therapy for MS, and we'll explain why it's such exciting news. We're sharing details about a DNA-based therapy for overactive bladder that just received fast-track status from the FDA. We'll tell you about a new effort to develop a simple blood test that will detect MS progression. We have some news to share about the RealTalk MS app. And we want to remind you to check out our ECTRIMS Extra Conversations video playlist on the RealTalk MS YouTube channel! We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: A deep dive into the research presented at ECTRIMS 2025  :22 Kernal Biologics received $48 million grant for the next-generation CAR T-Cell therapy  2:35 FDA grants fast track designation to DNA-based therapy to treat overactive bladder  6:02 Octave Bioscience receives grant to develop a blood test to detect MS progression  8:30 News about our app  9:42 Have you checked out our ECTRIMS Extra Conversations YouTube playlist?  10:30 Dr. Bruce Bebo discusses some of the most important research presented at ECTRIMS 2025  11:06 Share this episode  32:26 Next week's episode  32:47 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/425 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: [email protected] 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 in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463 SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy LISTEN: RealTalk MS Ep 422: From ECTRIMS 2025 with Dr. Bruce Bebo and Kristine Werner Ozug https://realtalkms.com/422 WATCH: The RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra Conversations video playlist on YouTube https://realtalkms.com/ectrims2025 JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 425 Guests: Dr. Bruce Bebo Privacy Policy

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• Episode 424: I'm a Participant in a Clinical Trial for CAR-T Cell Therapy and MS with Jan Janisch-Hanzlik

  Jan Janisch-Hanzlik lives with MS and is a participant in one of the clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for MS. Jan is the first person in the world to receive this one-and-done treatment, and this week, she's joining me to share her experience participating in the clinical trial. But you'll be especially interested in hearing how CAR-T cell therapy has impacted Jan's MS. Open enrollment for people with Medicare and for those who get their health insurance through the ACA healthcare.gov Marketplace begins this week, and we're talking about some of the reasons you want to pay particular attention to your 2026 health insurance options. As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters its third week, we're reviewing some of the ways that the shutdown may affect someone living with MS. And we're giving you a reminder about how you can add your voice and share your story of living with MS with the FDA by participating in the Shaping Tomorrow Together initiative. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: A first-hand account of an important clinical trial, open enrollment begins, and how the government shutdown may affect people with MS  :22 Open enrollment for Medicare and Marketplace enrolees begins  :22 How the federal government shutdown could affect people living with MS  4:29 Your opportunity to tell the FDA what it's like to live with MS  8:57 Jan Janisch-Hanzlik shares her experience participating in a CAR-T cell therapy clinical trial, and how the treatment has impacted her MS  11:28 Share this episode  31:38 Next week's episode  31:57 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/424 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: [email protected] 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 in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS REGISTER: Attend the virtual Shaping Tomorrow Together meeting with the FDA https://nmss.quorum.us/event/25463 SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 424 Guest: Jan Janisch-Hanzlik Privacy Policy

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