Smoking may increase risk of low bone density in youngsters

Youngsters who smoke may be at higher probability of developing low bone density. And according to experts, this condition of low bone density may lead to an increased risk of developing osteoporisis.

“Smoking has a negative effect on the bones, causing loss of bone mass and, eventually, premature osteoporosis when young people take up smoking,” Raju Vaishya, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon, at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The habit of smoking generally begins in high school or the college years and at that age bones are at deveklopment stage. It also interferes with calcium and vitamin D absorption in the body.

And it has been noted by doctors that in case of bone injury, a person who smokes is likely to take longer period of recovery and grweater risk of complication.

“Smoking during the years of bone-building puts you at risk of osteoporosis in later stage. Smoking after 30 will speed up loss of bone mass almost twice as faster,” Vaishya added.

According to The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India report, smoking kills over one million people in India on an annual basis. Tobacco consumption costs Rs 104,500 crore per annum.

In a study, recently published in the journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society, smoking was found to be an independent risk factors for low bone density among both men and women.