The Relationship Between Smoking and Multiple Sclerosis Severity in Saudi Arabia

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling autoimmune disease.
• Smoking is a suspected risk factor for MS development, progression, and severity.
• The precise impact of smoking on MS phenotypes, symptoms, relapses, disease course, and disability remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of smoking on people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) in Saudi Arabia.
• To determine associations between smoking status and MS characteristics.
• To explore the relationship between smoking pack-years and MS symptom burden.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing an online questionnaire.
• PwMS were recruited via MS societies and associations.
• Data collected included demographics, MS phenotype, severity, and smoking history.

Main Results:

• Four hundred twenty-nine PwMS participated; 35.7% were current or former smokers.
• Smoking was significantly associated with the presence and number of MS symptoms (p=0.009).
• A positive correlation was found between smoking pack-years and the number of MS symptoms (r=0.165, p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Smoking significantly impacts the number of symptoms experienced by individuals with MS.
• Increased smoking pack-years correlate with a higher number of MS symptoms.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate these relationships.