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" Adolescent girls who smoke and have depressive symptoms may be more likely to develop the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis in later life, a study has shown. Researchers at the Cincinnati Children&amp;#039;s Hospital, the University of Cincinnati and the Pennsylvania State University recruited 262 healthy girls, aged 11 to 19 years, and assessed their smoking status, experience of depression and bone health. They found that smokers and non-smokers had similar levels of bone mineral density in their lower spine and hips at an early age. However, as they progressed through adolescence, those who smoked the most tended to accrue the least bone mineral density. Meanwhile, girls with depression typically had noticeably lower bone mineral density in their lower spine throughout their adolescent years. The findings, which are published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, suggest that smoking and depression during the teenage years may have a negative effect on bone mineral density, potentially increasing females&amp;#039; chances of developing osteoporosis after the menopause. Lead researcher Dr Lorah Dorn suggested: &amp;#039;It may be premature to advocate screening for bone mineral density in adolescents with depressive symptoms or those who smoke, but our study should be replicated to determine whether greater vigilance in monitoring bone mineral status is necessary.&amp;#039; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a23710/smoking-and-depression-in-adolescent-girls-predict-osteoporosis/>