Smoking and Osteoporosis: How Smoking Contributes to Bone Loss
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What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis therefore is a systemic skeletal disorder that hurts the amount as well as quality of bone mass, mineral density, and bone strength and resistance to mechanical load meaning increased chances of fracture. Bone is a lively tissue created to endue constant process of bone resorption and bone formation. Osteoporosis is a disease in which the loss of bone mass is greater than the deposit, this leads to fragile hollow bones.
Three sites are common to osteoporotic fracture and they include hip, spine, and the wrist. These fractures are known to cause pain, disability and in many a times, death particularly in the elderly. Even though age is one of the major risk factors for the development of osteoporosis, life styles may greatly influence this disease including smoking.
Does Smoking Cause Osteoporosis?
Yes, research has it that smoking leads to the development of osteoporosis. Multiple studies show that smokers are two frozens thinner than non-smokers and have reduced bone strength indicating fractures. Smoking plays an important role in development of osteoporosis directly and indirectly influences the deterioration of skeletal tissue.
1. Reduced Bone Density
A study shows that nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes weaken or inhibit absorbency and utilization of calcium, an important nutrient in building bone mass. Calcium is vital for the bone mineralization, which is the process by which bones do not become porous and therefore reduces their strength. Inefficient absorption of calcium, results in depleted bone density creating bones that are frail and much easier to break.
Results of research indicate that bone density is usually lower in smokers than in non-smokers and that women are more affected than men. This loss of bone mass is specially seen in the spine, and hip; which are the sites for osteoporosis related fractures. Long-term smokers are in greater danger of osteoporosis and own lesser bone mass than non-smokers.
2. Hormonal Changes
Smoking also affects hormonal balance in the bodies, for instance, the estrogen level in women. Because estrogen is also involved in the modulation of osteoclast functions, it is also important in controlling BMD. They also found out that, due to the reduced level of estrogen, the activity of osteoclasts has escalated further leading to necessity of bone mass.
Smoking decreases estrogen levels and so women who smoke are likely to go through early menopause and as a result suffer from further bone loss. So, from the hormone point of view, any woman increases her pre-osteoporosis level of bone loss at menopause by carrying on smoking and here the author reminds us that early menopause means that women experience a decline in estrogen earlier than non-smokers.
Smoking has also been found to have an effect on the sex hormone testosterone, in men, smoking decreases the quantity of testosterone. It is also well understood that testosterone has a specific role of maintaining bone density and osteoporosis in men and atrophy of bone mass in elderly males have increased risk of fractures.
3. Increased Production of Free Radicals
It is evident that smoking leads to production of free radicals that are unstable particles in the body and lead to cause oxidation stress. Bone cells are affected and the bone remodelling process impaired by oxidative stress. Free radicals inhibit the function of the osteoblasts (bone forming cells ), and limit the cell’s ability to form new bone tissue. In parallel, osteoclasts expressing superoxide that regulates bone resorption, becomes more active in conditions associated with oxidative stress.
The result of this is a net loss of bone mass despite the fact the the bone formation also takes place. Smoking-induced bone loss and the role of osteoporosis, one of the damages caused by free radicals was identified.
4. Poor Blood Circulation
Smoking too has very adverse effects on blood circulation hence the inadequate supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the bones. The health of blood vessels is critical in the health of bones because blood carries the calcium and other minerals that are useful for the skeleton. One common negative effect of the lack of blood flow is the prolonged of bone healing and reduction of the bodies’ capability for bone repair.
Smoking is considered to make bone fractures worse as well as heal the breaks more slowly due to increased risks of hazards during the bone repair stage. This is especially a major concern because patients with osteoporosis are at a high risk of fracturing their bones in the first place.
5. Inhibition of Vitamin D Absorption
Vitamin D therefore in especially important in the absorption of calcium and for the bones. Making sure that the body gets enough calcium from the foods that we take and control the amount of calcium in the blood. Vitamin D also tends to be lower in smokers, and this means even more hindrances to achieving proper calcium absorption and bone mineralization, if necessary.
Smoking has been found to decrease circulating levels of active vitamin D and thus low amounts that lead to further bone loss. Lack of vitamin D in the body hinders the absorption of calcium leading to poor bones and an increased number of breakage.
Does Smoking Contribute to Osteoporosis?
Indeed smoking has a direct causal relationship with the incidences of and the progression of osteoporosis. The smoking has the ill effects on bone through number of pathways and mechanisms include hormonal imbalances through nicotine reception, direct toxicity through oxidative stress, decrease in intestinal absorption of calcium and vitamin D and poor remodelling of the bone.
Multiple studies have shown that smokers increasingly have a higher risk than non-smokers of developing osteoporosis, and consequently sustaining fractures. Osteoporosis risk rises where a smoker has been smoking for a long time, or they have been smoking heavily. For instance, heavy smokers that smoke above a packet of cigarettes per day are far more likely to loose bone density than occasional or light smokers.
The slow influence of smoking on bone fitness is very compared. Individuals who quit smoking may continue to experience symptoms affecting bones but stopping smoking minimizes the rate of bone deterioration and have other health benefits.
Is Smoking Bad for Your Bones?
Well, yes, smoking is really quite detrimental for bone health, as far as I understand. Tobacco affects each of the body systems and it also affects the skeletal system. It presents with relationship to bone health and osteoporosis, accelerated bone fraxture rate, and impaired bone union in smokers.
Cigarette contains toxic substances that harm the bone remodeling processes leading to low bone mineral density and fracture. Besides, smoking causes direct negative impact on the strength of the bone; and other diseases to which a smoker is prone to affect the strength of the bone either directly or indirectly through their impact to the strength and the flexibility of the bone such as heart diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Does Smoking Cause Bone Loss?
Of course, just smoking and smoking only make one loses bone mass. The mechanisms by which smoking leads to bone loss include:
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Impaired Calcium Absorption:
Smoking was again established to have a negative effect on the manner and degree to which calcium is incorporated into the body and bone health.
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Reduced Estrogen and Testosterone Levels:
Cigarette smoking reduces estrogen levels in women and testosterone in men both of which play a role in maintaining mass of the bone.
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Oxidative Stress:
One of the compounds in smoke is free radicals that inhale resulting in bone cell destruction as well an impairment of bone formation and resorption.
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Poor Circulation:
Cigarette smoking causes constriction of blood vessels of the bones that in turn slows down the process of bone healing.
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Vitamin D Deficiency:
Smoking also lowers the animal’s active form of vitamin D, resulting in a low calcium intake and poor bone mineralization.
Al in all this results in a gradual steady loss of bone density over time and hence leads to osteoporosis and fractures among the patients.
How to Protect Your Bones: Quitting Smoking
You want to have good bones and prevent osteoporosis, then it is high time you quit smoking. Although you may not be able to undo all the harm smoking has caused your bones to some extent you can slow the rate at which you lose your bone mass and become healthier.
Here are some steps to protect your bones after quitting smoking:
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Calcium-Rich Diet:
If you are taking calcium from your diet, ensure you take enough of it or if taking supplements, take them in the right amounts. High calcium foods includes dairy products foods, green leafages, and cereals rich in calcium nutrient.
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Vitamin D:
Make sure you get your daily dose of Vitamin D either from the sun, in your diet or supplements. Vitamin D assists human body to obtain right amount of Calcium to support the health of ones bones.
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Weight-Bearing Exercise:
Hike, run, swim, weight train, goof off, kick a soccer ball, or participate in any other activities which will benefit your bones. The activities are particularly helpful when it comes to building up of bones as well as the formation of bones density.
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Bone Density Tests:
And if you are worried about your bones then you should discuss with your doctor when you should take a bone density test. It is useful to clarify personal aspects of osteoporosis and make suggestions for protection.
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Avoid Alcohol:
Alcohol can also damage bones: Alcohol can weaken bones to superhuman levels. Reducing alcohol consumption can go a long way when it comes to your bone and general health.
Conclusion
Smoking is one of the biggest concerns as far as leading the following conditions are concerned Osteoporosis and loss of bones. It is also scientifically confirmed that smoking has a detrimental effect on osteoporosis, bone fractures as well as bone healing in patients. It inhibits calcium absorption by the blood, cuts down on hormones that are helpful to bones, boosts oxidation, and disrupts vitamin D processing all of which result in bone loss.
Smoking cessation is probably one of the most effective things a person can do to improve bone quality and decrease the risk of developing osteoporosis. Besides nutrition, exercise, and timely doctor visits, one way to delay the bone loss condition or its worsening is to quit smoking.
Overall, this paper has found that smoking produces negative effects on bone density leading to osteoporosis. Strengthening your bones for the future is always a work in progress; still, to save your bones you need to begin with stopping the bad vices such as smoking and start adopting healthier lifestyles in points above.
FAQS
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