Search for:
Search for:
Healthcare Professionals
Publications
News
EspaƱol
Contact
Magazine
Radio
Get Educated
What is MS?
A chronic neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system, comprised of the brain...
More Details
Educational Materials
Common Questions
Lending Library
Symptoms
Treatment Options
Additional Resources
Research
MS Awareness Month
Donate
Get Help
Health & Wellness Program
Get educational materials and referrals, as well as the opportunity to participate in various...
Learn More
Grants & Programs
Awareness Campaigns
Support Groups
Events
Lending Library
Additional Resources
Get Involved
MS Awareness Month
An annual, nationwide campaign with goals to promote an understanding of MS, and to assist those...
Learn More
Advocacy
Buy from Partners
Volunteer
Businesses
MS Research Trials
Outreach
Awareness Campaigns
Host an Event
Events
Test Flyout
lorem ipsum dolor sit lorem ipsum dolor sit lorem ipsum dolor sit lorem ipsum dolor sit lorem...
Learn More
Events Calendar
Health & Wellness
Fundraisers
Support
Web & Teleconferences
MS Education
Host an Event
About Us
Programs & Grants
More Details
Overview
Press Room
Leadership
Financial Statements
Our Mission
Careers at MS Focus
Affiliations
News & Features
Swamp Fitness Exercise
Join us Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, 8:30 a.m. Central, 7:30 a.m. Mountain, 6:30 a.m. Pacific for Exercise...
/Events/MSF-Events/2022/July/Swamp-Fitness-Exercise
Healthcare Assistance ...
The MS Focus Healthcare Assistance Grant assists uninsured individuals with the cost of visiting...
/Get-Help/MSF-Programs-Grants/Healthcare-Assistance-Grant
Shop
Privacy
Terms of Use
Site Map
Study links exposure to paint and varnish to increased MS risk
July 10, 2018
People who have been exposed to paint, varnish, and other solvents and who also carry genes that make them more susceptible to developing multiple sclerosis may be at much greater risk of developing the disease than people who have only the exposure to solvents or the MS genes, according to a new study.
People with exposure to paint or other solvents are 50 percent more likely to develop MS than people with no exposure. People with exposure to solvents who also carry the genes that make them more susceptible to MS are nearly seven times as likely to develop the disease as people with no solvent exposure who do not carry the MS genes. For people who have been smokers, the risk is even greater. Those who have been smokers with solvent exposure and the MS genes are 30 times more likely to develop MS than those who have never smoked or been exposed to solvents and who do not have the genetic risk factors.
For the study, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, identified 2,042 people who had recently been diagnosed with MS in Sweden and matched them with 2,947 people of the same age and sex. Blood tests were used to determine whether the participants had two human leukocyte antigen gene variants, one of which makes people more likely to develop MS and the other reduces the risk of MS. The participants were also asked whether they had been exposed to organic solvents, painting products or varnish and whether they had ever been a smoker.
In the group with neither of the MS genes and no smoking or exposure to solvents, there were 139 people with MS and 525 people without the disease. In the group with the MS genes and exposure to solvents but no smoking, there were 34 people with MS and 19 people without the disease. In the group with MS genes and exposure to solvents and smoking, there were 40 people with MS and five people without the disease.
The researchers determined that the MS genes and exposure to solvents combined were responsible for an estimated 60 percent of the risk of developing MS.
One limitation of the study was that participants were asked to remember any exposure they had to solvents, so it is possible that they may not have remembered correctly.
The study published in
Neurology
, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
MS Focus Lending Library
Books, DVDs, and CDs are available for loan, by mail across the United States.
Learn more