Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by neuroinflammation and demyelination. Although diet may influence MS risk, evidence regarding carbohydrate intake remains unclear.
Methods: We examined this association in a prospective cohort of 210,483 participants from the UK Biobank. Dietary carbohydrates were assessed using repeated 24-hour recalls. The diagnosis of MS cases was based on hospital inpatient records coded with the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code G35. The association between carbohydrate intake and MS risk was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models.
Results: Over a median follow-up of 13.25 years, 495 incident MS cases were identified. A per interquartile range (IQR) increase in intake of total carbohydrates (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05-1.40), total sugars (HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.10-1.38), fiber (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.08-1.33), fructose (HR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.12-1.39), and glucose (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.08-1.34) was associated with an increased risk of MS (all false discovery rate [FDR]-P < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline analyses showed linear dose-response relationships between these five carbohydrate types and MS risk (all Pnonlinear > 0.05). In addition, the associations between these carbohydrates and MS risk exhibited variations across different age and sex subgroups.
Discussion: Our findings indicate that higher carbohydrate intake is associated with an increased risk of MS. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Keywords: UK Biobank; carbohydrates; cohort study; multiple sclerosis; risk factor.
Copyright © 2025 Yuan, Wang, Chen, Lin, Yang, Zhao, Hua, Guo, Sun, Ye, Li and Mao.