In older women, current smoking was tied to sharply higher fracture risk, including more than double the risk of a broken hip.
We spend a lot of time talking about scans and lab values in bone health, and we should. But a February 2026 study is a sharp reminder that some of the most powerful risk factors are ones a patient can actually change.
In older women, current smoking was linked to roughly 35% higher risk of any fracture, about 36% higher risk of a major osteoporotic fracture, and more than double the risk of a hip fracture, along with lower bone density overall. A hip fracture is among the most life-altering injuries we treat, so doubling that risk is not a small thing.
This is why a real bone-health plan is never just a scan and a prescription. Modifiable risk factors belong right there alongside the imaging and the bloodwork.
If you smoke, I won't pretend quitting is easy, but few choices do more for your skeleton, and the benefit isn't reserved for the young. Wherever you are in life, your bones still respond.
If you're building a plan to protect your bones, make sure it accounts for the whole picture, habits included. That's a conversation worth having honestly.
Wondering about your own bone health?
Book a ConsultationIn a Swedish cohort of older women, current smoking was associated with about 35% higher risk of any fracture, 36% higher major osteoporotic fracture, and more than double the hip-fracture risk, along with lower bone density.
