Current understanding of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in multiple sclerosis
Insha Zahoor,
Guodong Pan,
Mirela Cerghet,
Tamer Elbayoumi,
Yang Mao-Draayer,
Shailendra Giri,
Suresh Selvaraj Palaniyandi
Affiliations
Insha Zahoor
Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Neurology, Research Division, Education and Research Building, Room 4044, Henry Ford Health, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
Guodong Pan
Division of Hypertension and Vascular Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USA
Mirela Cerghet
Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USA
Tamer Elbayoumi
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
Yang Mao-Draayer
Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence, Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Shailendra Giri
Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Neurology, Research Division, Education and Research Building, Room 4051, Henry Ford Health, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
Suresh Selvaraj Palaniyandi
Division of Hypertension and Vascular Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Corresponding author. Division of Hypertension and Vascular Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Education and Research Building, Room 7044, Henry Ford Health, 2799 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Wayne State University, MI, 48202, USA.
Autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), are proven to increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to a robust systemic immune response and inflammation. MS can lead to cardiovascular abnormalities that are related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction by causing inflammatory lesions surrounding tracts of the autonomic nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. CVD in MS patients can affect an already damaged brain, thus worsening the disease course by causing brain atrophy and white matter disease. Currently, the true prevalence of cardiovascular dysfunction and associated death rates in patients with MS are mostly unknown and inconsistent. Treating vascular risk factors is recommended to improve the management of this disease. This review provides an updated summary of CVD prevalence in patients with MS, emphasizing the need for more preclinical studies using animal models to understand the pathogenesis of MS better. However, no distinct studies exist that explore the temporal effects and etiopathogenesis of immune/inflammatory cells on cardiac damage and dysfunction associated with MS, particularly in the cardiac myocardium. To this end, a thorough investigation into the clinical presentation and underlying mechanisms of CVD must be conducted in patients with MS and preclinical animal models. Additionally, clinicians should monitor for cardiovascular complications while prescribing medications to MS patients, as some MS drugs cause severe CVD.
