Smoking reduces need for joint replacement

A study from the University of Adelaide has found men who smoke are less likely to need hip and knee replacements as they get older.

The surprising findings are published in the international journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

While smoking is linked to many health problems, including lung cancer and heart disease, the study found long-term male smokers were less vulnerable to osteoarthritis.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide studied the health records of 11,000 men aged between 65 and 83.

They found men who had smoked for more than 48 years were 51 per cent less likely to have total joint replacements such as hip or knee than men who had never smoked.

Principal investigator Professor Philip Ryan and PhD student George Mnatzaganian said the findings do not endorse smoking as it is linked to a range of serious diseases which cause premature death.

"This study shows that further research is needed to understand why smoking appears to offer protection against osteoarthritis," Professor Ryan said.

"Other studies have drawn links between smoking and increases in cartilage volume, and more work needs to be done in this area."

The researchers found men who were overweight and very active - especially those in the 70-74 age groups - were also more likely to require hip and knee replacements.

According to the scientists, this is not the only study to demonstrate a link between smoking and decreased risk of osteoarthritis.

But it is the first to report a strong, inverse relationship between how long the patient smoked and risk of total joint replacement.

Knee and hip replacements are among the most common elective surgeries performed in Australia.

"Despite these findings, the fact remains that any possible beneficial effect of smoking on osteoarthritis is far outweighed by other health risks," Professor Ryan said.