Should Multiple Sclerosis patients stop smoking?
Published on June 2, 2008 3:53 AM
Scientists have studied 368 smokers and nonsmokers with Multiple Sclerosis in order to find the effects of smoking. They have found that people who have multiple sclerosis should not smoke, because smoking can increase the size of brain tissue shrinkage and the subsequent aggravation of the disease.
The results of the research were presented at the 23rd Congress of the European Committee for the Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Prague, Czech Republic.
"Cigarette smoke has many properties that are toxic to the central nervous system, and cigarette smoking has been linked to higher susceptibility and risk of progressive multiple sclerosis," said Robert Zivadinov, M.D., Ph.D., UB professor of neurology, director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC).
He added: "Interactions between cigarette smoking and genetic and immunologic factors may point to mechanisms in disease pathogenesis. No previous studies have investigated differences in MRI characteristics between MS cigarette smokers and MS nonsmokers."
The study included patients with three most common forms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS): 253 had relapsing-remitting MS, acute attacks with full or partial recovery; nine had primary-progressive MS, steady worsening from onset; and 90 had secondary-progressive MS, characterized by occasional attacks and sustained progression. Another 16 participants had experienced their first MS symptoms.
From the overall number of patients, 128 had a history of smoking, 96 were active smokers who had smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day for the three months prior to the study, and 32 were former smokers who had smoked cumulatively for at least 6 months in the past. The remaining 240 participants had no active smoking exposure.
Analysis and comparison of smokers and nonsmokers has shown that smokers had significantly higher disability scores and lower brain volume than nonsmokers. There was also a significant relationship between the higher number of packs-per-day -smoked and lower volume of neocortex, the portion of the cerebral cortex that serves as the center of higher mental functions for humans.
"Smoking appears to influence the severity of MS and acceleration of brain atrophy and disruption of the blood-brain barrier in MS patients," said Zivadinov.
Scientists added that MS patients should be counseled to stop smoking, or at least to cut down so they can preserve as much brain function as possible.