OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis is a disease which leaves bones brittle and easily breakable.  Women are especially at risk because once menopause sets in, bone-protecting estrogen is no longer present.  Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist. Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, Women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the five to seven years following menopause, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis (stooped posture)⁴⁷.  According to the National Institute for Health, smoking has been linked to osteoporosis as a risk factor for the last 20 years.  There are many studies that have been done to prove this.  There was a study that showed that smoking has been associated with low bone density, fractures and poor intestinal calcium absorption.  The study consisted of 405 women who were attending a conference regarding the management of osteoporosis.  The people running the study were looking at intestinal calcium absorption efficiency, serum vitamin D metabolites, and parathyroid hormone levels in women that are non-smokers, past smokers, and current smokers.  The conclusion was that the impaired calcium absorption in the smokers was almost entirely attributable to suppression of the Parathyroid hormone-calcitriol endocrine axis.  This means that the association between the parathyroid gland and calcium is where the absorption is being hindered.  This impairment of calcium absorption could lead to accelerated bone loss and limits the usefulness of dietary supplements which could eventually develop into osteoporosis³⁵.  One other article restates that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for osteoporosis.  The article adds that postmenopausal women who are smokers benefit less from oral conjugated estrogens in terms of maintaining bone mass density.  This means that supplemental estrogens are of little benefit to smoking women after menopause.