Individuals, who start smoking before 17, are at an increased risk of developing the debilitating multiple sclerosis (MS) disease.
According to a study presented at the 61st annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, more than 32 percent of MS patients are those who started smoking at an early age.
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, leading to the disability of nerve cells to communicate with each other.
The disease usually presents with sensorial, visual, cerebellar and motor symptoms which often progress to physical and cognitive disability.