Effect of Light and Heavy Smoking on High Density Lipoprotein  Cholesterol Level
 
Haydar Al-Shalah
College of Medicine, University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq.

Abstract
Background and purpose: Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders. These include several types of cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and atherosclerosis which is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking. Cigarette smoking potentiates the harmful effects of total cholesterol and reduces the cardio-protective properties of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), increasing the risk of coronary heart disease(CHD). Decreased serum HDLc is one of the most common lipid disorders in patients with CHD. Existing evidence suggests that every 1 mg/dl decrease in serum HDLc increases the risk of CHD by 2-3%.
 
HDLc levels are known to be lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. However most studies have not been mentioned whether heavy or light smoking affect HDLc level. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of light and heavy smoking on HDLc level.  Material and method: Sixty apparently healthy participants were included in the study, twenty subjects as control group, twenty light smokers(those who smoke less than ten cigarettes per a day) and twenty heavy smokers (those who smoke ten cigarettes and more per a day).Their mean age ± SD was 35.25±4.38,37.25±4.74,37±3.93 for control, light smokers and heavy smokers groups respectively .The mean of the BMI of the same groups was 23.36±1.7,22.91±1.67 and 23±1.49.HDL-C was measured by colorimetric method.
 
Results: The mean values of HDLc of control ,light smokers and heavy smokers was 1.43±0.42 mmol/l, 0.75±0.17 mmol/l. and 0.6±0.2 mmol/l groups respectively .There was significant differences in the mean level of HDLc between control group and light smoker and heavy smoker groups (P< 0.05).However the mean value of HDLc of light smokers was not significantly different from the mean level of heavy smokers(P>0.05).
 
Conclusion: Smoking whether light or heavy equally affect HDLc level by deceasing its concentration in the serum and hence increase the risk of CHD.