RESEARCH - AAN: Early smokers boost risk for MS

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AAN 2009: Early Exposure to Smoking Boosts Multiple Sclerosis Risk

February 27, 2009 — Smoking cigarettes at a young age increases the

risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers warn. The

study findings were released February 20 by the American Academy of

Neurology (AAN) in advance of its presentation in April at the

upcoming AAN 61st Annual Meeting, in Seattle, Washington.

Investigators found that early smokers — those who started

experimenting with cigarettes before the age of 17 years — were more

than twice as likely to develop MS compared with nonsmokers.

" Early smoking is an independent risk factor for MS, " lead author

ph Finkelstein, MD, from s Hopkins University, in Baltimore,

land, told Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery.

More Than 2 Times the Risk

The study is part of an initiative by the Multiple Sclerosis Center of

Excellence, which was established by the Veterans Health

Administration.

Investigators looked at more than 30,000 subjects from the 2002

National Health Interview Survey. Of these, there were 87 MS patients.

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Read the whole article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/588830

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