We all know the harms of smoking, which can lead to a wide range of serious health issues, including respiratory diseases and lung and throat cancer. However, a new study from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), revealed another danger affecting male smokers. Researchers stated that male smokers, who are statistically more prone to smoking than females, also significantly increase their risk of developing osteoporosis, bone fractures, and early death.
The research team analyzed nearly 30,000 reported cases of bone fractures over the past three decades across 27 research publications, finding that smoking increases the risk of bone fractures by up to 37%. This meta-analysis, published last week in the Nature Journal Scientific Reports, is the first to extend the scope beyond primarily examining hip fractures to other parts of the body, including the wrists, shoulders, forearms, femurs, lower legs, and spine.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas study supports data from previous studies, which indicated that smoking increases the chances of spinal and hip fractures in men by 32% and 40%, respectively. Older studies found that between 21% and 37% of male smokers who suffer bone fractures die within a year of the event.
Lead researcher Cheng Wu, a scholar at the UNLV School of Public Health and the University of Nevada’s Institute for Personalized Medicine, stated, “Smoking is a major risk factor for osteoporosis and fracture risk. Men tend to smoke more than women, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, which has traditionally been thought of as a women’s disease.”
Researchers noted that the effect of cigarettes on fracture risk is not fully understood. Wu believes that smoking heightens the risk of skeletal fractures because the chemicals in cigarettes negatively impact bone cells and reduce the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D and calcium, both of which are crucial for strong bone mineral density. Additionally, he mentioned that smoking is a general risk factor since there is evidence that nicotine interferes with tissue repair processes, making the body more susceptible to injuries and hindering fracture healing.
As medical advancements continue to contribute to an aging population, researchers urge consumers to heed the link between smoking and osteoporosis fractures, which are a major cause of disability and early death among the elderly.
