Tobacco smoke toxins cause bone degradation

 Toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke harm the structure of bones, which in turn increases the risk of osteoporosis. The research sheds light on the well-known link between smoking and the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis.

US researchers carried out studies on mice that looked at the effects of two tobacco smoke chemicals on their bones and published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They found that the toxins interact with AhR receptors and induce bone resorption, transferring the calcium from bone fluid to the blood; the mice lost more bone matter than they created.

AhR receptors may therefore be an important target for the development of new osteoporosis therapies.