Here is additional incentive—if more is needed—to quit smoking. A British study has found that bone-healing cells in nonsmokers were of better quality, were more active and divided more quickly than did those in smokers. Researchers learned this by analyzing the bone-healing stem cells taken from blood samples from the area of the fractures in 50 smokers and nonsmokers with broken legs.
Smoking Slows Bone Healing
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“After growing and harvesting the stem cells from the tissue, we were able to closely analyze and monitor how cigarette smoking had a detrimental impact on stem cell growth and development, giving rise to abnormal bone repair, ” said Andrew Sloan, a researcher at the University of Lincoln, UK, in a university news release.” We also showed how the molecules that [affect] certain cellular processes were being hampered by the toxic effects of the tobacco smoke and its constituent components.”
The researchers have presented their findings at a number of medical conferences in Europe. The next step, according to the press release, will involve finding out if the harmful effects of smoking can be reversed.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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