
Smoking Tied to Shorter Survival With ALS
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking may speed progression of Lou Gehrig's disease and shorten the lives of those with the fatal illness, new research suggests.
Also known as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), the disease damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. These cells control many vital muscle functions, including speaking, swallowing and breathing.
Though no cure for ALS has been found, scientists have identified several risk factors, including genes, gender, age and underlying health issues. For this study, researchers explored the link between tobacco and development of ALS.
They collected data on the smoking habits of 650 people diagnosed with ALS between 2007 and 2011 in northern Italy. They also looked at chronic lung disease (COPD) among these patients.
Nearly 19 percent of the ALS patients were regular smokers when they were diagnosed. Researchers noted that 28 percent were ex-smokers and about 53 percent had never smoked.
Forty-four of the ALS patients had COPD; half were former smokers. On average, patients with COPD had shorter lives than those without. But smoking appeared to shorten patients' lives whether or not they had COPD when their ALS was diagnosed.
On average, smokers with ALS lived 21 months after diagnosis, compared to 27 months for ex-smokers. Those who never smoked lived the longest after diagnosis, 31 months, on average.
Researchers also said smokers were usually younger than others when their ALS was diagnosed.
The study was published online Sept. 21 in The Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
The authors cautioned that no firm conclusions about cause and effect can be drawn from their observational study.
Dr. Adriano Chio, medical and scientific director of the department of neuroscience at the University of Turin in Italy, led the study.
-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas
Article Credits / Source
Sponsored Product
More Neurology Articles
Moms' Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Linked to Epilepsy Risk in Kids0
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Some children born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis may have higher-than-average odds of developing epilepsy, a new study suggests. Children born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis were ...
Brain Implant Lets 'Locked-In' ALS Patient Communicate0
MONDAY, Nov. 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A high-tech implant has enabled a paralyzed woman with late-stage ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) to communicate through brain signaling, researchers say. The degenerative disease robbed Hanneke De ...
Blood Test May Someday Diagnose Concussion0
FRIDAY, Nov. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- A simple blood test may one day diagnose concussions with more than 90 percent certainty, a small Canadian study suggests. This new test is unique, the authors said, because it looks for more than 100 ...
gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant, Fanatrex FusePag)0
home / neurology center / neurology a-z list / gabapentin index / gabapentin (neurontin, gralise, horizant, fanatrex fusepag) drug monograph Pharmacy Author: Omudhome Ogbru, PharmD Omudhome Ogbru, ...
MS Symptoms May Develop Earlier in Darker, Cooler Climes0
THURSDAY, Nov. 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The farther from the Equator someone with multiple sclerosis lives, the earlier symptoms begin, a new study finds. MS is a progressive disease affecting the central nervous system. Although symptoms ...
0 Comments
Write a Comment
Tag Cloud
Our Mailing List
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the latest health news as it breaks!
Author
The full comment or 255 characters
View Article➦