It's not surprising that MDS patients who are smokers are at a disadvantage, since they have an added health risk, but I find it puzzling that it applies more to lower-risk MDS than to higher-risk MDS. Perhaps smokers with higher-risk MDS are more likely to stop smoking because they're undergoing more serious treatment. But why does the increased risk apply only to men?
I think
this is the proposal that led to the study. It lists these factors of study: family history, medical history, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, exposure to occupational and environmental chemicals, and exercise.