The Impact of Lifetime Alcohol and Cigarette Smoking Loads on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Progression: A Cross-Sectional Study
Background
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating and untreatable motor neuron disease; smoking and alcohol drinking may impact its progression rate. The objective of this study is to ascertain the influence of smoking and alcohol consumption on ALS progression rates.
Methods
Cross-sectional multicenter study, including 241 consecutive patients (145 males); mean age at onset was 59.9 +/- 11.8 years. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption data were collected at recruitment through a validated questionnaire. Patients were categorized into three groups according to Delta-FS (derived from the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised and disease duration from onset): slow (n = 81), intermediate (80), and fast progressors (80).
Results
Current smokers accounted for 44 (18.3%) of the participants, former smokers accounted for 10 (4.1%), and non-smokers accounted for 187 (77.6%). The age of ALS onset was lower in current smokers than non-smokers, and the Delta-FS was slightly, although not significantly, higher for smokers of >14 cigarettes/day. Current alcohol drinkers accounted for 147 (61.0%) of the participants, former drinkers accounted for 5 (2.1%), and non-drinkers accounted for 89 (36.9%). The log(Delts-FS) was weakly correlated only with the duration of alcohol consumption (p = 0.028), but not with the mean number of drinks/day or the drink-years.
Conclusions
This cross-sectional multicenter study suggested a possible minor role for smoking in worsening disease progression. A possible interaction with alcohol drinking was suggested.
Reference:
Cucovici A, Fontana A, Ivashynka A, Russo S, Renna V, Mazzini L, Gagliardi I, Mandrioli J, Martinelli I, Lisnic V, Muresanu DF, Zarrelli M, Copetti M, Leone MA - The Impact of Lifetime Alcohol and Cigarette Smoking Loads on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Progression: A Cross-Sectional Study - Life (Basel). 2021 Apr 17;11(4):352.
