Swedish snuff doesn’t increase MS risk

Washington, Sept 1 : Unlike cigarettes, Swedish snuff doesn’t increase a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), finds a new study. “While tobacco cigarettes increased a [...]

• Caroline says: I found a loophole in the "smoking worsens MS" argument. A study found that while cigarette smoking increases disability in patients with MS as well as increases the risk for developing MS in genetically susceptible people, this was not so in Swedish smokers -- or those who used Swedish snuff. This suggests that tobacco is not the cause of MS worsening, but some other chemical or substance found in snuff.
   

• MS Patients Who Smoke Show More Brain Atrophy/Lesions Than MS Nonsmokers

  ScienceDaily (Aug. 18, 2009) — Persons with multiple sclerosis who smoked for a little as six months during their lifetime had more destruction of brain tissue and [...]

  • Caroline says: Well, this seals the deal. This is my third post on cigarette smoking and MS in the last few months and I think this post is the most conclusive of all that smoking cigarettes DEFINITELY worsens MS. I have transformed from a casual smoker to a non-smoker because of data like this (and also, I suppose, because lung cancer in addition to MS would REALLY suck). But, in all honesty, it's HARD to quit smoking! I think MS patients deserve to have their vices and enjoy them...do they still make candy cigarettes?
     
  
  

  • Cigarettes and MS: More Evidence of a Bad Combination

    Rebecca Hoover Unfortunately, cigarette smoking seems to be part of the multiple sclerosis (MS) picture for some patients.  Studies have shown that cigarette smoking increases the chances [...]

    • Caroline says: I posted another article while back about a study that found young smokers' being more likely to develop MS. This article confirms that study, and also adds that MSers who smoke are more likely to become disabled more quickly and have tougher relapses than those who do not.
       
    
    

    • AAN 2009: Early Exposure to Smoking Boosts Multiple Sclerosis Risk

      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.

      • Caroline says: You’d think that people with neurological diseases wouldn’t smoke…and you’d be mistaken. I’ve been a light smoker on and off for several years and I’m really looking to just be done with it already. I’ve already got MS, so the below article doesn’t apply to me, but it’s interesting regardless: