MS Patch Tuesday August 2025: Microsoft Issues Emergency Fixes for Azure Portal and SharePoint Zero-Day

Lead paragraph Fatigue, headaches and anxiety could be more than everyday annoyances: new research shows that people who ultimately develop multiple sclerosis (MS) start visiting doctors for these and other vague complaints as early as 15 years before the classic neurological symptoms of MS appear. Early warning signs of MS may appear years before diagnosis Scientists from the University of British Columbia analyzed health-care records of 2,038 Canadians with MS and more than 10,000 matched controls. They found a steady rise in doctor visits among future MS patients that began roughly 14 years before their first recognized relapse and peaked in the year preceding diagnosis. Key findings from the JAMA Network Open study include: • 15 years out – higher appointments for “ill-defined” symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and pain • 14 years out – uptick in visits for anxiety and depression • 12 years out – psychiatrist consultations start to climb • 8-9 years out – more trips to neurologists and eye specialists, often for blurred vision or vertigo • 1 year out – five-fold increase in neurologist visits compared with people who never develop MS Why the prodromal phase matters Lead investigator Dr. Helen Tremlett notes that MS may have “a long and complex prodromal phase where something is happening beneath the surface but hasn’t yet declared itself as MS.” Recognizing this silent period could let physicians: • flag high-risk patients earlier • order MRI or blood tests sooner • start disease-modifying therapies before irreversible nerve damage sets in Mental-health clues The study underscores mental-health complaints as some of the earliest red flags. Anxiety, depression and frequent antidepressant prescriptions were significantly more common in future MS patients more than a decade before neurological onset. Experts urge primary-care and psychiatric providers to keep MS on the differential when young adults present with persistent mood issues plus unexplained physical symptoms. Impact on treatment strategies Earlier detection dovetails with emerging therapies that aim to stop MS before disability accrues. In August, Nebraska Medicine became the first center to infuse an “off-the-shelf” CAR T-cell therapy in an MS patient, a treatment designed to reset the immune system and protect myelin. Such advanced interventions are most effective when the disease is caught early. What patients can do now • Track unexplained fatigue, visual changes, neuropathic pain or balance issues in a health diary. • Discuss any combination of neurological AND mental-health symptoms with your GP or neurologist. • Ask about MRI screening if you have a family history of MS or tested positive for high Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels, another emerging risk marker. Bottom line Multiple sclerosis may begin its silent attack on the nervous system a decade or more before the first relapse. Heightened awareness of subtle prodromal symptoms—especially persistent fatigue, mood disorders and unexplained sensory problems—could shift MS diagnosis from reaction to prevention, giving patients a head start in the race against progressive disability.