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Exposure to petroleum-derived lubricants at work, including engine oil, hydraulic oil and cutting fluids used to cool or lubricate metal during metalworking, is associated with higher odds of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in Neurology. The study does not prove that exposure to these lubricants causes MS. It only shows an association.

MS is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Researchers have identified both genetic and environmental factors associated with an increased risk of the disease.

"Previous research has linked lung irritants such as cigarette smoke, organic solvents and air pollution to MS risk, but petroleum-derived lubricants have not been closely studied," said study author Anna Karin Hedström, M.D., Ph.D., of Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.

"Our findings suggest that exposure to these products in the workplace, which is common in industrial settings, is associated with higher odds of MS, especially when combined with smoking or certain genetic characteristics."

The study involved 2,872 people with newly diagnosed MS and 6,122 people without MS who were matched by age, sex and residential area. Participants had an average age of 35 and lived in Sweden.

Participants completed questionnaires about their work histories and possible exposure to cutting lubricants and fluids, engine oil, hydraulic oil and concrete form oil. Researchers defined workplace exposure as contact with at least one of these substances before the year a participant's first MS symptom occurred.

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