“ Study of Lipid Profile and Nitric Oxide In Chronic Smokers”.

Abstract

Background: Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of respiratory tract infections, chronic airway disease and cardiovascular diseases, all of which may be modulated by endogenous nitric oxide. We have investigated whether cigarette smoking reduces the production of endogenous NO. Oxidative stress also alter the lipid profile in chronic smokers. With this view, we planned to assess vasodilator by determining the level of nitric oxide and lipid profile in chronic smokers. Aim of this study is 1) to determine the level of nitric oxide in chronic smokers. 2) to estimate the level of lipid profile such as total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL & triglycerides. Setting: Chronic smoker patients and healthy controls from government medical college and hospital, Miraj. And P.V.P.G.hospital, Sangli. Participients: 70 clinically diagnosed chronic smokers in the age group 40 to 70 years and 70 healthy controls in the same age group were included in this study. Results: Serum nitric oxide level was found to be significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in chronic smokers as compared to control group. Serum total cholesterol, LDL -cholesterol and triglycerides levels were significantly increased (P<0.001) in chronic smokers as compared to control group and serum HDL -cholesterol level was found to be significantly decreased (0.001) in chronic smokers as compared to control. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking decreased exhaled NO, suggesting that it may inhibit the enzyme NO synthase. Since endogenous NO is important in defending the respiratory tract against infection, in counteracting bronchoconstriction and vasoconstriction, and in inhibiting platelet aggregation, this effect may contribute to the increased risks of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in cigarette smokers.

Keywords

Nitric oxide (NO), Total cholesterol (TC), High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and triglycerides (TG).