Smoking, Calcium Supplements, and Osteoporosis

Format: Fact Sheet
Institute: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Taking care of your bones is an important part of staying healthy. Those who smoke, or who have insufficient calcium in their diet, are at increased risk of osteoporosis and other problems. Women have to be particularly careful for two reasons: They have less bone tissue to begin with, and they lose bone faster than men because of the changes that happen with menopause.

NIAMS has added two fact sheets to its osteoporosis and bone health series. Smoking and Bone Health describes the mounting evidence that smoking increases the risk of having a fracture. Also, significant bone loss has been found in older women and men who smoke, and smokers who fracture can take longer to heal than nonsmokers and might experience more complications during the healing process.

A second fact sheet, Calcium Supplements: What to Look for, points out that getting enough calcium is important because the human body cannot make it. The body loses calcium every day through the skin, nails, hair, and sweat, as well as through urine and feces. This lost calcium must be replaced daily through the diet. Otherwise, the body takes calcium out of the bones to perform other necessary functions. This makes the bones weaker and more likely to break over time.

Next Steps
You can view these fact sheets online and in pdf format. The fact sheet on smoking and bone health is found at http://www.niams.nih.gov/bone/hi/bone_smoking.htm. The fact sheet about calcium supplements can be found by visiting http://www.niams.nih.gov/bone/hi/calcium_supp.htm.