Mediterranean diet, biological aging, and multiple sclerosis progression
Official title: Mediterranean Diet, Biological Aging, and Risk for Disease and Disability Progression in Multiple Sclerosis
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11310720 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether a Mediterranean-style diet links to slower biological aging and less brain shrinkage in people living with multiple sclerosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $424,502 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS135228-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310720 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with multiple sclerosis—particularly those earlier in their disease course and willing to share diet information, clinical history, and blood samples—are the ideal candidates for this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without MS or those with very advanced, irreversible disability are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This research uses data and samples from people with MS to see if diet-related differences in biological aging explain why some people lose brain tissue or function faster. The team will combine dietary histories, brain MRI scans, clinical follow-up, and blood measures of biological aging (including a NHANES-based aging index and leukocyte telomere length). They will analyze two existing groups of participants, including the RADIEMS cohort, to compare diet patterns with changes in imaging and disability over time. The work mainly uses previously collected data and specimens alongside follow-up clinical and imaging information.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to diet-based strategies that may slow brain aging and disability progression in people with MS.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked Mediterranean-style diets to less brain atrophy in MS and have tied diet to biological aging in other populations, but using aging markers to explain diet effects in MS is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Katz Sand, Ilana Beth — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Katz Sand, Ilana Beth
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Mediterranean-style eating and aging in people with multiple sclerosis
This project looks at whether following a Mediterranean-style diet is linked to slower biological aging and less brain shrinkage in people living with multiple sclerosis.
-
How the Mediterranean diet affects aging and disease progression in multiple sclerosis
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Low-Load BFR Training to Help People with Advanced MS Improve Strength
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Gentle strength training with blood flow restriction for people with advanced MS
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Protecting against disability in early Multiple Sclerosis
This project explores how diet and body weight might help people with early multiple sclerosis maintain their brain function and reduce disability over time.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.