Patients with multiple sclerosis do not necessarily consume more alcohol or tobacco than the general population.
Purpose Recent papers suggest that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are prone to alcohol misuse. This may be due to the combination of a lifelong and disabling disease with a psychiatric profile typical of MS. The objective of the present study was to assess these findings in a culturally different population of patients with MS.Method The present case-control transversal study assessed 168 patients with MS and 168 control subjects from Brazil.Results There were no evidence that patients with MS drank more alcohol or, smoked more than did controls. In fact, control subjects had a significantly higher alcohol consumption. The only trait associated to higher alcohol consumption was anxiety, both for patients and controls.Conclusion Unlike previous reports in the literature, patients with MS in our study did not drink or smoked more than a control population.
Universidade Metropolitana de Santos, Santos, SP, BR.
Yara Dadalti
YD
Fragoso
Hospital Beneficencia Portuguesa, BR.
Sidney
S
Gomes
Centro Hospitalar Unimed, Joinville, SC, BR.
Marcus Vinicius M
MV
Goncalves
Imperial Hospital de Caridade, BR.
Suzana C Nunes
SC
Machado
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia, MG, BR.
Rogerio de Rizo
Rde R
Morales
Hospital Beneficencia Portuguesa, BR.
Francisco Tomas M de
FT
Oliveira
Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, SC, BR.
João Filipe de
JF
Oliveira
Universidade Metropolitana de Santos, Santos, SP, BR.
Neide R Simoes
NR
Olmo
Clínica Neurológica de Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, BR.
Monica K Fiuza
MK
Parolin
Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, SC, BR.
Fabio
F
Siquineli
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, GB.
Patrick N
PN
Stoney
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000523:psychology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D064424:Tobacco Use / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*