Despite all of the information that is currently out there, not to mention the high level of negative campaigning regarding its health hazards, smoking continues to remain a fact of our society as people spend countless dollars on a habit that is known to be detrimental to their health.

In addition to cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and respiratory diseases, it now appears that smoking may increase a person's risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gherig's disease. ALS is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the motor neurons and leads to muscle wasting. Currently there is no cure for ALS and the few treatment options that exist are limited in their efficacy.

ALS affects an estimated 5,500 new patients every year in this country, and in most cases, the exact cause remains a mystery, though doctors speculate that environment may play a role. With this in mind, scientists set out to see if there was a possible link between ALS and cigarettes.

Analyzing information from five long-term studies that encompassed more than 1.1 million patients, researchers identified 832 people who came down with ALS. The follow-up time for the analysis ranged from 7 to 28 years. Rates of ALS were seen to increase with age, affecting men more than women for all age ranges.

According to the data, which was published in the Archives of Neurology, people who smoked had a 42% higher risk for ALS than people who had never smoked, while former smokers had a 44% increased risk. Important in this relationship were the number of packs smoked every day in combination with the duration that this quantity was smoked (known as pack-years), as well as the average number of cigarettes smoked every day and the duration when considered independently. The risk for ALS increased when smokers started smoking at a younger age.

The exact reason why smoking raises the risk is not clear, but doctors hypothesize that it may stem from some of the chemicals found in cigarettes, including nitric oxide, formaldehyde, and residual pesticides used in growing tobacco, all of which can encourage the production of free radicals in our body. Free radicals are known to cause cell damage that can lead to oxidative stress and in certain situations, cancer.

Obviously the best course of action for smokers is to quit, and if you are not a smoker, never start. To learn more about ALS, visit the website for the ALS Association. For help to quit smoking, speak with your doctor to find out our options, and visit the website for SmokeFree.gov.