A Mayo Clinic study shows that men who suffer from osteoarthritis and smoke are more likely to accelerate their disease and experience greater pain than those who don't smoke.
The research which spanned 30 months analyzed the arthritic condition of 159 men. Of which 19 were smokers, smoking around 20 cigarettes daily for average 40 years. The researchers used special imaging methods like the MRI to observe the progress of cartilage tissue during the start, middle and end of the period.
The particular joint that they focused on was the patellofemoral joint, present between the thigh bone and knee cap. Also, participants were asked to rate the extent of pain experienced on a scale of 0 to 100, using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
At the end of the study, the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine researchers found that deterioration of cartilage was around 2.5 times more for smokers, compared to those men who had never smoked or had given up smoking. They attribute this to the fact that smoking releases harmful toxins, carbon monoxide and greater free radicals, all of which result in greater wear and tear and lesser healing.
Another possible reason that scientists wish to consider is that smoking has been found to reduce people's threshold of pain. Other studies have also found a connection between greater back pain among those who smoke compared to non-smokers even if their medical condition is similar. They state that smokers have a tendency to require immediate gratification, immediate relief, making them more sensitive to even regular levels of pain.
Whether this be the reason or not, as Professor David Felson, professor of medicine at Boston University Medical School points out, all of these are additional reasons to quit smoking.
