Effect of Chronic Cigarette Smoking on lipid profile – A Pilot study in North-Eastern Nigeria.

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. It has been linked with alterations in lipid profile level but which fraction of lipids profile is affected by cigarette smoking remains controversial. In this study we evaluated the lipids profile among smokers in  North-Eastern Nigerian. Total Cholesterol (Tc), High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-c) and Triglycerides (TG) were determined colometrically but Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-c) was calculated. A total of One hundred and forty (140) current smokers, Twelve (12) Ex-smokers and Eighty four (84) controls were recruited. The current smokers were also categorized based on daily cigarette consumption; Light (<5 sticks/Day), Moderate (6-10 sticks/day) and  Heavy (>10 sticks/day), and duration of smoking;  Short (5-10 years ), Medium (11-20years) and Long (>20 years). Clinical history, daily cigarette consumption and duration of smoking were obtained from a semi–structured questionnaire. TC, LDL-c, and TG were all significantly elevated in current smokers compared with control (p<0.05) with a significant decrease in HDL level (p<0.05). They all correlated with duration and quantity of daily cigarette consumption.  There was no significant difference between ex-smokers and control, except for the significant increase in TG level observed. The results indicated an increased risk of dyslipidaemia in cigarette smokers which is pro-atherogenic  and can potentially put smokers at a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases.