New research has found that smoking increases the risk of osteoporosis, back pain, and fractures. The review of the relationship between smoking and musculoskeletal disease revealed that smokers suffer from slower bone cell production, faster bone loss, more severe vertebral disc degeneration, and weaker spinal ligaments. One study also showed that 50% of smokers suffered from lower back pain, compared to just 20% of non-smokers. Co-author of the review, Edward N. Hanley Jr., MD, said: “Women who smoke have significantly less bone mass, which may be due in part to nicotine’s inhibition of estrogen. Male smokers also are at increased risk of developing osteoporosis because smoking affects the production of bone cells.”
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.WebMD.com on the 17th October 2001
