Is MS Caused or Worsened by Jugular Vein Blockage?
New research potentially debunks a theory that the neurological disease multiple sclerosis is caused or worsened by jugular vein blockage. An Aug. 2, 2010, Wall Street Journal article, “Studies Cast Doubt on New MS Theory,” reports that separate studies in Sweden and Germany report no impairment of jugular vein blood flow among MS patients studied. The studies appeared in the August 2010 issue of The Annals of Neurology. The jugular veins carry deoxygenated blood from the head (principally the brain) back to the heart. In 2009, an Italian physician postulated a theory that many types of MS are caused by jugular vein blockages, preventing excess iron from being removed from the brain. By using a stent or balloon catheter to prop open impaired jugular veins, he believed a root cause of MS could be eliminated. The Italian physician’s research was intriguing enough that a Stanford University vascular specialist initiated a program to insert jugular stents in 40 MS patients. However, in Dec
