WebMD Medical News Laura J. Martin, MD May 31, 2011 -- Leading a
stressful life isn't likely to raise the risk of developing
multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. Researchers
say exposure to stress has long been suspected to play a role in
aggravating existing MS, but it has not been previously
established whether stressful life events could increase the
risk of developing MS. "This rules out stress as a major risk
factor for MS," researcher Trond Riise, PhD, of the University
of Bergen, Norway, says in a news release. "While we've known
that stressful life events have been shown to increase the risk
of MS episodes, we weren't certain whether these stressors could
actually lead to developing the disease itself," says Riise, who
conducted the research as a visiting scholar at the Harvard
School of Public Health. "Future research can now focus on
repeated and more fine-tuned measures of stress." Multiple
sclerosis is a chronic disease involving the immune system that
affects the brain and spinal co