Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Smoking, Alcohol, and Multiple Sclerosis Risk

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing observational evidence on tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption as risk factors for multiple sclerosis onset. The work, published on figshare, includes 18 studies published between January 2010 and January 2025. It provides pooled odds ratios for smoking and alcohol exposure, concluding smoking is a consistent risk factor while alcohol shows no clear overall effect.

Use Cases

• Conducting secondary analysis of pooled effect estimates based on the reported odds ratios and confidence intervals.
• Informing public health messaging on modifiable lifestyle risks based on the conclusion that smoking is a consistent risk factor for MS.
• Designing future observational studies based on the identified heterogeneity in alcohol-related findings mentioned in the description.
• Teaching meta-analysis methodology using the described PRISMA guidelines and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessment.

Strengths

• Includes 18 studies (11 on smoking, 9 on alcohol) with a defined search period from 2010 to 2025.
• Reports specific pooled effect estimates: smoking OR 1.40 (95% CI 1.33–1.49) and alcohol OR 1.11 (95% CI 0.78–1.56).
• Follows PRISMA guidelines and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 270.2 KB DOCX file, indicating a limited scope focused on review documentation rather than raw study data.
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; the document's internal data structure must be inspected after download.
• The substantial heterogeneity (I²=87.9%) for alcohol findings, as noted in the description, suggests inconsistent underlying evidence.

Provenance

Source

figshare admin karger

Collection Method

Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies from PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar.

Time Range

Studies published between January 2010 and January 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-02 07:55:11.