Where is this smoking/MRI results thing coming from?

I've searched PubMed and cannot find any clinical or other papers to support a significant link between white matter hyperintensities and cigarette smoking. Yet I've seen more and more people coming on here whose neuros have dismissed their WMHs as the result of a history of smoking. The literature seems to be fairly clear on the fact that any such changes would be *secondary to* atherosclerosis or hypertension, both of which would presumably then be present in a patient's history. In other words, a patient without a history of atherosclerosis or hypertension who smokes shouldn't have their white matter lesions attributed to smoking, especially and specifically in the context of a presentation with neurological symptoms/deficits.

I've found only a few papers that even address this directly; one is very old, from 1996, and actually found an *inverse* relationship between smoking and WMH (i.e., smokers had fewer WMHs); one is a review from 2000 referencing a "putative" relationship between smoking and WMH; and one that found a tenuous link between (current) smoking, WMH, and being an elderly woman. But nothing about smoking/history of smoking and WMH in otherwise cardiovascularly/pulmonarily healthy people under age 60.

So, again...where is this coming from? Anyone have any ideas? Can anyone find citations to support these assertions? I find this disturbing because so many people have a history of smoking, and there are doctors out there stating that lesions can arise directly from smoking, rather than through documentable cardiovascular factors.

Bio

[Fluffysmom]

I'd like to see that link, also.  

Maybe one of the people here that have heard that from their doc can straightforwardly ask for access to evidence that smoking is linked to white matter lesions.

I'd ask my neurologist, but I don't want to give her any ideas, lol.

Kathy

[essdipity]

Quix has posted that smoking has sometimes ***rarely*** been linked to white matter lesions. Hope she'll jump in here.

My guess is that unimaginative and or uncaring neuros read whatever these isolated reports are and simply stop thinking. That is, if they've ever started in the first place.

ess

[sllowe]

I brought up smoking and my brain lesions to the neuro.  He did some math under his breath and on paper and said, "no, that's not what caused them."  So, there is "something" to it.  I know that's not the science you are looking for so I'll search for the discussion.....

It was a particularly good soap box ref. smokers and MS - but all of hers are of course..

[saveone]

I THINK it is right up there with a dx of demylenating disease....a cop out when they don't have an answer.

If smoking caused lesions my big should be full of them.

terry

[sllowe]

  These do not include the write up I was looking for, haven't found it yet will dig soon as I can...but it's a start

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/White-matter-and-smoking/show/286958

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/follow-up-to-the-smokers-brain/show/751910

[Louby70]

I am one of those patients where the Neuro said that the changes on my brain, were due to me smoking. I was very baffled with this to be honest ,but I did not question this with him, maybe I should have.

Since he informed me of this, I have looked countless of times on the net for anything related to smoking causing changes to the brain, of which I have yet not found.

Even my Auntie who worked in the medical trade had not heard of this either.

So  I am even more baffled, especially as I am also displaying other signs of MS & my brain which has changes to it. supposely caused by my bad habbit!!!!!!!!!

I would love to know if you find anything or anyone else has found actually facts confirming this.

[Louby70]

With what has been written before from Quixotic, confirms if I have read this right, that with the Neuro saying that my brain change is due to me smoking,  does not add up.

The studies were done on people aged 60yrs to look at for "aging" lesions,  I am a 38yr women.

Some studies have included high blood pressure, migraines, diabetes, obesity as factors in causing increased numbers of these lesions. I suffer with none of  those mentioned, plus I am a petite frame size 8 in UK sizes/ size 4 in America sizes if I'm correct.

So where do I fit in with this??????

[rendean]

I recently saw something in print while at work verifying a relationship between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and smoking. Went back to look and cannot find the source where I saw this.  I did, however, see these two weak links comparing smoking with WMH.

1) "Tobacco smoking and MRI/MRS brain abnormalities compared to nonsmokers "

References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

E.F. Domino, a,

aDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109-0632, United States


Received 10 June 2008;  revised 4 September 2008;  accepted 5 September 2008.  Available online 11 September 2008.

Abstract
This mini review emphasizes the fact that tobacco smoking causes small but real biologic brain changes that need to be studied in depth. A crucial question is whether these anatomical/chemical changes reverse toward normal when smokers quit. This review is presented to stimulate further research to answer this question.

Keywords: Tobacco smoking; Brain abnormalities; Brain changes; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS

2)  http://    stroke.  ahajournals.  org /cgi/reprint/35/8/1857
We also confirmed previous reports of a relationship
between cigarette smoking and WMH.12,15