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Sometimes, I wonder if my grandmother (who decided to take a walk in Heaven almost a decade ago now) had multiple sclerosis. We knew she had high blood pressure, but now that I know my journey, I wonder if some of the symptoms she exhibited were linked to MS as well. As of today, I don’t have high blood pressure — but I know it’s something a lot of us need to watch, especially if you have MS or another chronic conditions. A couple of recent studies have really opened my eyes to how blood pressure — and not just the number but how much it swings — can actually affect MS progression. Wild, right?

Dr. Min-Woong Sohn, a public health researcher, got a big grant from the Department of Defense to study this. He’s focusing on something called “blood pressure variability,” which just means how much your blood pressure jumps up and down between doctor visits. His early research shows people with MS who have more fluctuations in their blood pressure might experience worse symptoms, more fatigue, and even faster disease progression — even if their average blood pressure looks normal.

Now that connects to another big study that used brain scans to look at MS patients’ brains. It found even prehypertension (that stage before full-on high blood pressure) was linked to damage in the white and gray matter of the brain. That’s the stuff that helps control movement, memory, and all kinds of other functions. Basically, higher blood pressure — even if it’s just a little high — can mess with your brain’s wiring and shrink parts of the brain that matter most in MS.

Here’s the kicker: these studies didn’t find a link between high blood pressure and the number of MS lesions. So the damage isn’t about creating more spots on the brain — it’s about weakening the brain’s structure overall.

Even though I don’t personally have high blood pressure, I take this seriously. Because when we’re managing one autoimmune disease, the last thing we need is another issue working against us.

If you do have high blood pressure, here are four simple ways to keep it in check:

• Move your body daily – Even a 20-minute walk can help. Motion is medicine.
• Watch your salt intake – Too much sodium can spike your pressure. Try herbs or lemon for flavor instead.
• Breathe and destress – Meditation, deep breathing, prayer, or just sitting quietly can lower stress (and your BP).
• Follow up regularly – Stay in touch with your doctor, and if your pressure is bouncing around, ask about tracking it at home.

MS is already a journey — but we’ve got tools and choices to keep ourselves strong. You’re not alone in this. I know I have my angel watching over me and I hope you all have someone who has you covered, too.