Interrelations between body weight, cigarette smoking and spine mineral density in osteoporotic Czech women

This study was designed to assess the influence of body weight and cigarette smoking on vertebral bone mineral density in 241 osteoporotic and age matched 98 normal Czech women. The present study demonstrated that bone density and the frequency of atraumatic vertebral fractures was not related to the body weight. High body weight was not found to show any protective action on bone. However, among a group with vertebral fractures, bone mineral density in cigarette smokers was significantly lower than in nonsmokers, but this effect was not associated with low body weight. The osteoporotic women with and without vertebral fractures had high serum cholesterol concentration which is unequivocally associated with peripheral vascular disease. Thus, our results are suggesting the relationship between atherosclerosis and osteoporosis.