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Passive smoking linked to increased risk of osteoporosis

A study looking at the effects of passive smoking on the risk of developing osteoporosis in rats has found a link between smoke exposure and femur bone density.

According to researchers behind the Impact of Passive Smoking on the Bones of Rats paper, which was published in Orthopaedics 2010, after just eight weeks lumbar bone mineral densities were clearly decreased.

"These histological findings show that smoking has a direct impact on bone metabolism," the researchers said.

However, they added: "The model used in the present study reflects the effects of passive cigarette smoking, but not those of active smoking.

"Difficulties exist in drawing a direct comparison to smoking in humans, since humans inhale tobacco directly from cigarettes."

They concluded that although the research suggests smoking has a direct effect on bone metabolism and could lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, it was difficult to extrapolate results from the animal model to humans.

In the December issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, a research paper highlighted the fact that smokers who undergo knee surgery appear to fair worse than non-smokers when it comes to recovery times.

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