A new study says that smoking increases risk of epilepsy.

It is the first study to observe potential risks linked to smoking, caffeine intake, and alcohol consumption as they independently relate to epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a state characterised by repeated unprovoked seizures where electrical disturbances in the brain cause sudden fits and muscle spasms and sensory awareness.

Considerably, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School also found that long-term, reasonable intake of caffeine or alcohol does not enhance the chances of a seizure or developing epilepsy.

Barbara A. Dworetzky of BHW and team used data got from the Nurses' Health Study II, a group of 116,608 female registered nurses, aged 25-42 years who returned mailed questionnaires on their way of life and medical history including epilepsy and seizure activity.

"Our analysis showed risk of seizure was significantly higher for current smokers, but not related to the amount of cigarettes smoked daily," said Dworetzky. "It does appear, however, that the number of years of smoking does increase seizure risk."

About 2.5 million Americans are affected by epilepsy with 150,000 new cases this year alone, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said a BWH release.

These studies are slated for publication in the February 2010 issue of Epilepsia.