Constellation of Factors Increase Risk of Multiple Sclerosis

Smoking, organic solvents, and genetic susceptibility combine to increase MS risk. A study by Hedström and colleagues[1] found that exposure to paint, varnishes, and other organic solvents may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis by about 50%, compared with unexposed individuals. Among people who carry a genetic variant that increase their susceptibility to MS, exposure to these toxins may increase their risk of MS by about 7 times, compared with unexposed people who don’t carry this gene. And, adding smoking to the equation increases the risk of developing MS approximately 30-fold, compared with unexposed people who don’t carry the gene and are nonsmokers.