Effects of smoking on serum lipid profile in Iraqi subjects

Objectives: (a) To compare serum lipid profile in smokers with nonsmokers. (b) To determine the magnitude of dyslipidaemia in the smoker subjects.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Al-Zahrawi Private Hospital in Mosul, from January to December 2004. Fasting blood samples were collected from 179 apparently healthy smokers who attended the Outpatient Department and 205 apparently healthy nonsmokers matched age and sex. Serum lipid profile was compared between smokers and nonsmokers. In smokers, Comparison was also done according to the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. The collected data were analyzed by Chi-square, Z, ANOVA and Duncan tests.Results: Body mass indexes (BMIs) were significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers (P<0.001). Serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) were significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (P<0.001) while high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) was significantly lower (P<0.001) in smokers than in nonsmokers. Serum TC and LDL-C were significantly higher in smokers of long duration. Heavy smokers had low HDL-C and high TG, TC, LDL-C and VLDL-C compared with light smokers. The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperLDL-cholesterolaemia and low HDL-cholesterolaemia among the studied subjects according to the recommendation of British Hyperlipidaemia Association (1998) were 25.6%, 24.5%, 26.2 % and 37.4% respectively.Conclusion: Smoking is associated with a change in serum lipid profile. The number of cigarettes smoked per day and the duration of smoking play an important role in lipid profile change. The results document a high prevalence of dyslipidaemia among Iraqi smokers.