The effects of smoking on bone health

Abstract

Osteoporotic fractures are a major public health problem in most developed countries and an increasing concern in much of the developing world. This healthcare burden will increase significantly worldwide over the next 20 years due to aging of the population. Smoking is a key lifestyle risk factor for bone loss and fractures that appears to be independent of other risk factors for fracture such as age, weight, sex and menopausal status. This review discusses the effects of smoking on bone health in pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women and men. Data from twin studies and the three main published meta-analyses are presented. Possible mechanisms by which smoking affects bone mass are review..