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Consistent exposure
to organic solvents such as toluene, white spirit and xylene
may increase a person’s risk of multiple sclerosis (MS),
according to a recent study.
The study followed
close to 12,000 painters, who are known to be exposed to organic
solvents, from 1970 to 1986. Construction workers, 36,899
of them, and 9,314 food-processing workers, who were not thought
to have been exposed to organic solvents, were also followed.
After a review
of participants’ disability pensions at the end of the
study, results revealed that nine painters, 12 construction
workers and six food workers had been diagnosed with MS.
The cause of MS,
which occurs when the body's immune system attacks the protective
myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spine,
remains unknown. Symptoms of the disease include muscle weakness
and stiffness, balance and coordination problems, numbness
and vision disturbances.
The study showed
that painters had almost double the risk of receiving a disability
pension because of MS than the combined group of construction
and food processing workers.
Researchers believe
the findings indicate that exposure to organic solvents might
increase the risk of developing MS, though more research is
needed to fully address the association.
Epidemiology
November 2002;13:718-720
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