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Multiple Sclerosis => MS - RESEARCH AND NEWS => Topic started by: agate on January 07, 2017, 02:23:56 pm

Title: (Abst.) Smokers w/MS have lower quality of life, more disability than non-smokers
Post by: agate on January 07, 2017, 02:23:56 pm
From PubMed, January 7, 2017:

Quote
Mult Scler. 2017 Jan 1

Smokers with MS have greater decrements in quality of life and disability than non-smokers

Briggs FB1, Gunzler DD2, Ontaneda D3, Marrie RA4.

Author information

1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
2Center for Health Care Research and Policy, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
3Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
4Departments of Internal Medicine and Community Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

BACKGROUND:

Tobacco smoke plays a pathogenic role in multiple sclerosis (MS) and may accelerate disease progression, yet, some people with MS continue to smoke after disease onset. The average smoker reports diminished health-related quality of life (HRQOL) across many populations.

OBJECTIVES:

To describe the relationships between smoking status and HRQOL, disease activity, and global disability in a US population with MS.

METHODS:

We compared smokers to non-smokers in 950 responders to the Spring 2014 update survey completed by North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) registry participants. HRQOL was assessed using Short Form-12 version 2 (SF-12v2), disease activity was investigated using eight Performance Scales (PS) and three Functionality Scales (FS). Global disability was evaluated using Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) and an item response theory (IRT) summed score based on the PS and FS.

RESULTS:

Smokers had lower HRQOL ( p < 0.0001), reported more disease activity ( p < 0.05) and greater deficits in all PS and FS ( p = 6 × 10-7 to 0.05), except mobility. Smokers and non-smokers did not differ by PDDS but had substantially greater IRT global disability ( p = 2 × 10-7).

CONCLUSION:

Active smoking is meaningfully associated with deficits across multiple domains in people with MS and adds to the growing literature of the need for MS-tailored smoking cessation programs.

The abstract can be seen here (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28059618).