Earlier age of onset in multiple system atrophy with smoking and heavy alcohol use

Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2019 Sep:66:212-215. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2019.07.015. Epub 2019 Jul 17.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether smoking or alcohol use impacts the age of onset and disease duration in multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Methods: All patients diagnosed with MSA at Mayo Clinic, Rochester between 1998 and 2012 completed standardized questionnaires surveying smoking and alcohol use at the time of presentation.

Results: Of 551 patients with smoking and alcohol use data, 281 were past or present smokers with age of onset of 60.76 years compared to 62.97 years in controls (p = 0.0144). Age of onset in the 87 heavy alcohol users was 56.87 years compared to 62.97 years in controls (p = 0.0133). There was no difference in disease duration for smokers (p = 0.2758) or heavy alcohol users (p = 0.4820) compared to controls.

Conclusion: Our findings show that smoking history and/or heavy alcohol use is associated with younger age of onset in MSA but do not influence survival.

Keywords: Alcohol; Ataxia; Multiple system atrophy; Parkinsonism; Smoking.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alcoholism / epidemiology*
  • Ataxia / epidemiology*
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple System Atrophy / epidemiology*
  • Multiple System Atrophy / mortality
  • Smoking / epidemiology*