Smoking at Young Age May Raise MS Risk

Hi guys , i was searching on the internet and I found one interesting topic I think to myself that , may help some of our friends  (those who smoke)
Study Shows Higher Risk of Multiple Sclerosis for Smokers Who Start Smoking Habit Early

 Youngsters who start smoking before age 17 may be putting themselves at increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests.

Researchers studied 87 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were among more than 30,000 people who took part in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey.

The people were divided into three groups: nonsmokers, early smokers who started before age 17, and late smokers who started in 17 or later.

The people who started smoking before age 17 were 2.7 times more likely than nonsmokers to develop multiple sclerosis, the researchers say.

People who started smoking at 17 or later did not show an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis compared to nonsmokers, according to the researchers.

About 32% of the MS patients were early smokers, compared to 19% of the people who didn't develop the disease, the researchers say.

"Studies show that environmental factors play a prominent role in multiple sclerosis," says study researcher Joseph Finkelstein, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Early smoking is an environmental factor that can be avoided."

The study findings took into account sex, race, age, marital status, education, income level, and region.

The researchers say limited studies in the past also have suggested smoking as a risk factor for MS.

Their findings are to be presented April 25-May 2 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Seattle.

And also I can add this , some health effects of smoking among young people 

• Smoking hurts young people's physical fitness in terms of both performance and endurance—even among young people trained in competitive running.(1) On average, someone who smokes a pack or more of cigarettes each day lives 7 years less than someone who never smoked.

• The resting heart rates of young adult smokers are two to three beats per minute faster than nonsmokers.

• Smoking at an early age increases the risk of lung cancer. For most smoking-related cancers, the risk rises as the individual continues to smoke.

• Teenage smokers suffer from shortness of breath almost three times as often as teens who don't smoke, and produce phlegm more than twice as often as teens who don't smoke.

• Teenage smokers are more likely to have seen a doctor or other health professionals for an emotional or psychological complaint.

• Teens who smoke are three times more likely than nonsmokers to use alcohol, eight times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. Smoking is associated with a host of other risky behaviors, such as fighting and engaging in unprotected sex.