Al- Anbar Medical Journal

Abstract

Background: Tobacco smoking is one of the major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Nicotine and other toxic substances from tobacco smoke are absorbed through the lungs into the blood stream and are circulated throughout the body. Smoking increases the amount of bad fats circulating in the blood vessels and decreases the amount of good fat availability.Objectives: The aim of the study was to find out differences in the serum lipid profile between men smokers and non-smokers in the fasting state.Patients and Methods: This descriptive study included two hundred and forty healthy non- obese males, categorized into two groups. One hundred (100) and forty (40) healthy men were included in group I (smokers) with in the age of 19-48 years (31.76±6.93) and one hundred apparently healthy men were included in group II (non-smokers) of the same age and weight matched as a control group. Group I was classified as those who stated smoking number of cigarette per day for at least three consecutive months into three different categories; group A included 38 males smoked 1-10 cigarette per day, group B included 78 males smoked 11-20 cigarette per day, and group C included 24 healthy males smoked more than 20 cigarette per day. Lipid profile was measured for all these groups. Results: This study showed that total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), LDL-C/HDL-C (atherogenic index), and triglyceride (TG) were significantly higher in smokers as compared with non-smokers (control group) (P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.001, P<0.001, P=0.001 respectively) while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is smoking group was significantly lower in non-smoker (P=0.04). total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and atherogenic index were statistically affected by number of cigarette/day. Conclusions: Smoking produces adverse effects on lipid profile and the changes become more marked with the number of cigarette/day smoked