Christina Applegate: US actress reveals MS diagnosis
- Published
US actress Christina Applegate has revealed she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Applegate first found fame as a child actress on US sitcom Married... With Children and won an Emmy for playing Rachel's sister Amy in Friends.
"It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition," Applegate tweeted on Tuesday., external
She asked for "privacy" as "I go through this thing".
The Dead To Me actress added: "It's been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps on going. Unless [someone] tries to block it."
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Applegate, 49, has won plaudits for her TV acting roles including the title roles in sitcom Jesse (1998 - 2000) and comedy Samantha Who? (2007 - 2009).
Her performance in Dead To Me has seen her nominated for Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice awards.
She won a Primetime Emmy for her guest appearance as Rachel's sister in Friends in two episodes in 2002 and 2003.
Applegate was also a member of the original Pussycat Dolls, when they were a burlesque troupe.
Her film roles include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy. She later reprised her role as Veronica Corningstone in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
Applegate's other big screen outings include Bad Moms and The Sweetest Thing, opposite Cameron Diaz. She has also appeared on Broadway in shows such as Sweet Charity.
Multiple sclerosis
In MS the protective layer surrounding nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord - known as myelin - becomes damaged. The immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin, causing scarring or sclerosis.
The damaged myelin disrupts the nerve signals - rather like the short circuit caused by a frayed electrical cable.
If the process of inflammation and scarring is not treated then eventually the condition can cause permanent neurodegeneration.
In 2008, Applegate underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
She opted to have surgery after testing positive for the BRCA1 breast cancer gene.
Applegate is married to Martyn LeNoble, who was a founding member of the 1990s alternative rock band, Porno for Pyros.
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- Published26 February 2013
