(ORDO NEWS) — Osteoporosis is a dangerous disease in which 50% of patients become disabled and 20% die.
As we discussed in the article on the unknown facts about human bones, 75 million European citizens suffer from this disease, and the number of cases is constantly growing.
The causes of this disease are called very different – chronic diseases, taking certain medications, lifestyle, etc.
But, it is quite possible that they are not the main factor in the growth in the number of diseases in the world. A recent study showed that osteoporosis develops due to poor ecology, that is, polluted air.
Does bad air cause a risk of bone fracture?
The fact that air pollution is associated with the risk of bone fracture has long been known.
Some previous studies have shown that the dirtier the air, the more fractures people experience, and the greater the loss of bone mass with age.
The current study is another confirmation of this. Scientists have found that air pollution accelerates bone loss in older people.
We are talking about menopausal women, who are the most vulnerable category in terms of osteoporosis.
Bone fragility can be associated not only with osteoporosis, but also with malnutrition.
In particular, vegetarians have a 43% increased risk of fractures. Therefore, keep in mind that the food should be varied.
The researchers analyzed the air quality in places where women who went through menopause live. Nearly 10,000 women took part in the study.
The scientists evaluated the content of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, as well as the content of particulate matter PM10.
As a result, it turned out that the stronger the air pollution, the lower was the bone density in the body, including the neck and spine.
This trend is observed all over the world. Moreover, it did not depend on socio-economic or demographic factors.
The study covered a wide range of ethnic groups, lifestyles, places of residence and socioeconomic status. This greatly improves the accuracy of the results obtained.
It follows that polluted air can indeed cause the development of osteoporosis and affect the course of the disease. But how exactly does air pollution affect bone health?
Why polluted air affects bones
In their work, the scientists emphasized the connection between nitrogen in the air and the condition of the spine.
An increase in its content of only 10 percent led to a loss in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine by 1.22% over 3 years.
This is twice as much as should occur during normal aging. The researchers report this in the journal eClinicalMedicine.
As the researchers themselves note, their work is the first evidence that nitrogen oxides lead to bone damage. The lumbar spine is likely to be the most susceptible to the effects of nitrogen.
In their opinion, bone loss is associated with the death of bone cells as a result of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when toxic molecules from the surrounding air enter the body.
However, it should be borne in mind that one study is not enough to establish a causal relationship.
The only conclusion that is not in doubt is that dirty air really negatively affects the condition of the bones. Therefore, scientists want to draw public attention to the problem of polluted air.
The main source of nitric oxide in the air is transport, as a large amount of it is found in exhaust gases. Accordingly, people who live in large mountains along streets with heavy traffic are most at risk of fractures.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.