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Smokers lose more muscle mass in old age: study |
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08:07, July 10, 2007 |
More bad news for smokers: not only does it cause cancer, heart attacks and strokes but smokers will also lose more muscle mass in old age than a non-smoker, according to a new study published Monday on line in American Journal of Physiology.
The effect of muscle loss predisposes smokers to an accelerated decline in physical function and loss of independence, the international research team from Britain, Denmark and the USA said in their papers.
The researchers discovered that smoking impairs the day-to-day upkeep of muscle. Their research shows that smoking is likely to speed up a condition known as sarcopenia -- the loss of muscle mass with aging which is linked to poor balance, gait speed, falls, and fractures.
Sixteen people took part in the study. The men and woman in their mid sixties were selected because of their similar lifestyles in terms of alcohol consumption and physical activity. They were studied in two equal groups: heavy smokers, who had smoked at least a pack of 20 cigarettes a day for at least 20 years, and non-smokers.
To measure the synthesis of muscle protein they were given an intravenous infusion of blood with a tagged amino acid (one of the building blocks of protein). Samples of muscle were taken from their thighs before and after the infusion to follow how much had "stuck" in muscle protein. This measured the rate of synthesis of muscle protein which contributes to the daily maintenance of the muscle mass. The researchers found that it was substantially less in smokers than non-smokers.
During extensive studies, they discovered that the amounts of myostatin, a muscle growth inhibitor and MAFbx enzyme, which breaks down muscle protein, were higher in smokers than non- smokers.
Lead author Philip Atherton at The University of Nottingham said: "from our tests, we can conclude that smoking slows the muscle protein synthesis machinery. We are all well aware of the ill affects of smoking on the lungs but our study reveals yet another cause of ill-health associated with smoking. Hopefully the UK smoking ban will encourage people to quit while they are still young, helping them to keep in good health in later life."
Source: Xinhua
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