If you want to know about CCSVI, you have to understand chronic venous disease (CVD).  It's that simple.

Problem is that the only people who really understand the most recent discoveries in this field are vascular doctors.  Doctors from other specialties have a vague idea of puffy ankles and hard to heal, icky, open sores of the ankle and foot that pose a medical managment problem, but most docs who aren't vascualr specialists don't understand what actually causes CVD.

In fact, the vascular research related to CVD has had leaps in scientific understanding in the last few years.  Among these findings has been the fact that most of the damage in the CVD lesion is caused by inflammation and immune system activity.  Some authors are suggesting that suppressing the immune function may be helpful to aid in healing of CVD lesions (Bergan et al. 2006 "Chronic Venous Disease" )

This overactive immune response in venous lesions is one reason why the presence of venous insufficiency in MS patients must be fully investigated to discover how it may contribute to MS lesion development.  

Watch this wonderful animated video sent to me by Sammyjo on venous disease--(this video was made by the company that makes Daflon-- a flavanoid supplement thought to be helpful in venous disease.  The mechanism of action is reduction of inflammation in the stressed blood vessels.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iugFL21Z-xg

This is a Tysabri video that explains how Tysabri blocks adhesion molecules and thereby crossing of lymphocytes (t-cells; the immune cells they see in the brain at lesions sites) through the BBB.  Note similarities in immune system issues of MS lesions as compared to the last video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zLYxr2Tv7I

It makes you wonder why there is any resistence at all to investigating this model.

Marie

Do you have your copy yet?  http://ccsvibook.com

http://www.facebook.com/notes/ccsvi-in-multiple-sclerosis/what-do-they-know-about-chronic-venous-disease/10150311919707211