Recent research about multiple sclerosis and smoking has peaked my interest: I learned to smoke when I was in eighth grade and although I was never a regular smoker, I did do it at parties in high school and college and beyond. Also during tense conversations with friends as almost a “bonding” mechanism. This is probably considered recreational or social smoking, which I’ve been able to tame as of late, but I recently became curious about the notion that EARLY smoking habits might affect the chances of developing MS. Here’s what I learned:
A new scientific study reveals a possible link between smoking at an early age and developing multiple sclerosis. Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, in collaboration with the Veterans Affairs MS Center for Excellence, recently conducted a study with MS patients— 87 in total— to determine the likelihood of developing MS if a patient was an early smoker (under the age of 17 when beginning the habit), an older smoker (starting above age 17), or a nonsmoker.
Out of the study participants, including 435 individuals without MS, early smokers were 2.7 times more likely to develop multiple sclerosis compared to nonsmokers. Older smokers were not found to have any more of a risk than non-smokers.
*For more information about the study and related materials, see Johns Hopkins Medicine.
