Research

Solving the mystery of how cigarette smoking weakens bones
Breakthrough research published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research suggests that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for osteoporosis (weakening of the bones) and bone fractures. Scientists examined the bone marrow cells of smokers and nonsmokers and analyzed differences in genetic activity. Smokers produced a larger amount of two proteins that cultivate the creation of cells that break down old bone, or osteoclasts, compared to nonsmokers, providing evidence that smoking does, in fact, weaken bones. Click here to read more about this study. Click here for the study abstract.

Ex-smokers have higher risks for bowel diseases
Individuals with a history of smoking are at a higher risk for developing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, suggests a recent study. Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School surveyed 230,000 female nurses biannually about their behavior and health status between 1976 and 1989. Among never-smokers, 144 out of 124,000 developed Crohn’s disease, and 117 out of 51,000 ex-smokers and 75 out of 53,500 smokers developed the disease. After controlling for age, weight, and hormone therapy use, it was concluded that smokers were 90% more likely to develop Crohn’s disease than women who had never smoked. Also, former smokers were 35% more likely to develop the disease than women who never smoked. The findings suggest that the more one smokes, the higher the risk. To read more about this study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, click here. Click here for the study abstract.

Smoking sharply increases risk of certain cancers of the immune system and bone marrow
Female smokers are at an elevated risk for cancers of the blood, immune system, and bone marrow, new data published in the British Journal of Cancer reveal. The new study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, gathered data from 1.3 million middle aged women that participated in the Million Women study. During a ten-year period, 9,000 women developed leukemia, a cancer of the immune system, or bone marrow cancer. Comparing frequent smokers to never-smokers, the relative risks of Hodgkin lymphoma, mature T-cell malignancies and myeloproliferative / myelodysplastic disease were each approximately doubled. This research provides statistically significant evidence that a link exists between smoking and certain cancers of the bone and immune system. Click here to read more. Click here to read the study abstract.

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