Episode 206: The Importance of Advocacy with MS Activist Jenna Green

If you've ever wondered about whether MS advocacy makes a real difference, please consider that last year alone, MS Activists helped to bring about these changes:

• $10 Million increase in funding for the Congressionally-Directed MS Research Program
• $3 Billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health
• Sustained funding for the CDC's National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System (studying MS is one of the first 2 pilot projects for this new program)
• Passage of the CREATES Act (designed to lower prices and increase competitiveness in generic drug development)

Beyond these milestone achievements, advocating on behalf of your own interests is a personally empowering experience. Joining me to talk about what advocacy is all about is MS Activist Jenna Green.

We're also sharing the details of a clinical trial that measured the effects of the Wahls Diet and the Swank Diet on MS-related fatigue and quality of life.

We'll tell you about a study that identified a potential biomarker for MS-related cognitive decline.

We're talking about the FDA approval of Botox as a treatment for upper-limb spasticity.

And we'll let you know how you can support the MS Society of Canada by buying a burger.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This part is all about you :22

Study measures the effects of Wahls Diet and Swank Diet on MS-related fatigue and quality of life 4:03

Study identifies potential biomarker for MS-related cognitive decline 6:58

FDA approves Botox for managing upper-limb spasticity 10:35

A&W's Burgers to Beat MS benefits MS Society of Canada 11:34

MS Activist Jenna Green talks about what advocacy means and why it matters 14:05

Share this episode 31:46

Download the free RealTalk MS app for your iOS or Android device 32:06

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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

National MS Society COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for People Living with MS
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/coronavirus-covid-19-information/multiple-sclerosis-and-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-guidance

Advocate for Change -- Be an MS Activist
https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

STUDY: Impact of the Swank and Wahls Elimination Dietary Interventions on Fatigue and Quality of Life in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: The WAVES Randomized Parallel-Arm Clinical Trial
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20552173211035399

STUDY: Cognitive Decline in Multiple Sclerosis is Related to the Progression of Retinal Atrophy and Presence of Oligoclonal Bands: A 5-Year Follow-Up Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8315759/

Updated Botox label information
https://media.allergan.com/actavis/actavis/media/allergan-pdf-documents/product-prescribing/20190620-BOTOX-100-and-200-Units-v3-0USPI1145-v2-0MG1145.pdf

Burgers to Beat MS
https://BurgerstoBeatMS.ca

Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

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https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

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RealTalk MS Episode 206
Guest: Jenna Green

Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, MSActivist, RealTalkMS