News Smoking May Speed Up MS Progression, Lower Treatment Effectiveness, Study Reports Smoking May Speed Up MS Progression, Lower Treatment Effectiveness, Study Reports by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD | September 27, 2018 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link Smoking may increase multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, quicken disability progression, and speed the transition from relapsing to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) by as much as eight years, according to anĀ MS Society review study. The review data shows that, although the U.K.ās National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises healthcare professionals to inform people of the connection between smoking and MS as soon as theyāre diagnosed, most patients are still unaware of this link. Specifically, a recent study reported that 89 percent of MS patients did not know anything about the risks of smoking in MS. āMS can be painful and unpredictable, and is often stressful to manage. Some people with MS believe smoking helps them manage stress, and healthcare professionals can be reluctant to take that ally away from someone whoās just been diagnosed,ā Waqar Rashid, MD, a consultant neurologist at St Georgeās Hospital in London, said in a press release. However, āknowing that continuing to smoke might impact the disease and its progression could make a radical difference to some people,ā Rashid said. MS specialists play a key role in this by having conversations with patients as soon as appropriate, and making these discussions routine in their consultations, he added. Discuss the latest research in the MS News Today forums! The data also revealed that smoking may increase the number or size of brain lesions appearing in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, which could worsen MS symptoms. Smoking may also decrease the effectiveness of treatments. The independent research review was conducted just beforeĀ Stoptober, an annual 28-day quit-smoking campaign from Public Health England (PHE), launched in 2012. The 2018 campaign will start Oct. 1. According to PHE, Stoptober has led to more thanĀ 1 million quit attemptsĀ so far and is the biggest quit attempt in England. It is based on evidence that people who stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to quit for good. Organizers say the campaign aims to trigger significant quit attempts by increasing people’s motivation to quit smoking and providing products to make it easier. It offers free support, including an app, daily emails, Facebook Messenger, expert face-to-face advice from local stop-smoking services, and encouragement from the Stoptober community on Facebook. MS Society is inviting all MS patients to take part in this yearās Stoptober. The society provides support links across the U.K., including how to sign up for the campaign, and specific help websites for those in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. More information can be foundĀ here. Additional information on Stoptober or the association between smoking and MS can be found via the MS Societyās free MS Helpline in the U.K at 0808-800-8000 or by email atĀ [email protected]. Stoptober is part of the wider One You PHE program, which helps adults in the U.K. make small changes to their lifestyle with a potentially big impact on their health. Besides smoking, One You addresses other behaviors and habits, including eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol, and not being active enough. Print This Page About the Author Jose Marques Lopes, PhD JosĆ© holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Porto, Portugal. After postdocs at Weill Connell Medicine and Western University, where he studied the processes driving hypertension and Alzheimerās disease, he moved on in 2016 to a career in science writing and communication. JosĆ© is the author of several peer-reviewed papers and a book chapter and has presented his research in numerous international meetings. Tags MS Society, review study, smoking
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