Correspondence
Dr. Veerendra Kumar Arumalla MD
Department of Biochemistry,
Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute,
Ammapettai, 603108.
Kancheepuram (Dist.), Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone: +919962313887
E-mail: drveerendraarumalla@gmail.com

Background: Smoking is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, with a dose-response correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked and the altered lipid profile. In the context of its high prevalence in India, the atherosclerotic risk in smokers is a major concern.
Methodology: A total of 900 healthy male individuals (600 smokers of the age range of 25-35 years and 300 age and sex matched non-smoking controls) were recruited and screened for circulating lipids, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(TC/HDL), and the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP = log Triglycerides/HDL).
Results: The TC/HDL ratio, AIP and all the lipids were found to be increased significantly in the study group smokers as compared to their values in the non-smoking controls (p<0.001). HDL was found to be significantly decreased (p<0.001). The same was true when the group 2 heavy smokers were compared with the healthy, non-smoking controls (p<0.001). When comparisons were made between the control group and the group1 light smokers, all the variables were found to be increased, except HDL, but the difference was significant only for the TC/HDL ratio (p< 0.001), with a significant decrease in HDL (p<0.001). Rather than the lipid profile, the TC/HDL ratio and AIP showed higher efficiency in indicating the atherogenic lipid abnormalities which were associated with smoking.
Conclusions: To conclude, smoking is positively related to lipid abnormalities. The TC/HDL ratio has the best discriminatory power to indicate the atherogenic lipid abnormalities and thereby, the future atherogenic risk which is associated with smoking.

[ FULL TEXT ]   |   [ PDF ]