1. Smoking increases the risk of multiple sclerosis in Queensland, Australia
- Author
-
Cullen O'Gorman, Wajih Bukhari, Simon Broadley, A. Todd, and Susan Freeman
- Subjects
Male ,Risk ,Gerontology ,Multiple Sclerosis ,Physiology (medical) ,Odds Ratio ,medicine ,Vitamin D and neurology ,Humans ,business.industry ,Multiple sclerosis ,Smoking ,Case-control study ,Regression analysis ,General Medicine ,Odds ratio ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Confidence interval ,Neurology ,Case-Control Studies ,Etiology ,Regression Analysis ,Female ,Surgery ,Queensland ,Neurology (clinical) ,Intermediate risk ,business ,Demography - Abstract
There is growing evidence for the role of smoking in the aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). We have undertaken a large case-control study of smoking in MS and assessed this using a regression model. We have confirmed an association between increased risk of MS and smoking in Queensland, Australia, a region of intermediate risk for MS. The overall adjusted odds ratio was 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.5–2.5) for ever smokers. There was no statistically significant difference in the risks for males and females. A number of potential mechanisms to explain this association have been postulated including direct and indirect (via vitamin D) effects on the immune system.
- Published
- 2014