Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta have found a link between Smoking and degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine.
Mitchel Leavitt, MD, and his team examined data of computer tomography 182 patients, 34% of whom were smokers. They assessed each disk from 0 (healthy) to 3 (severe stage of degeneration), but in General, the cervical spine is in the range from 0 to 15 points.
The results of the study showed:
– Abuse of nicotine leads to the development of microvascular disease, resulting in the intervertebral discs do not receive power from the microvessels between the endplates of the discs that accelerate the process of degeneration.
– Smokers had a higher severity of cervical degenerative disc disease.
“Further studies need to consider the impact of additional lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, obesity and a diet high in fat, the severity of the cervical degenerative disc disease,” said Dr. Leavitt.
The researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Association of academic physiatrists in Sacramento, California.
