title: Effect of intensity of cigarette smoking on haematological and lipid parameters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death and major tobacco related diseases like cancer costs India more than Rs.308.33 billion per year. Cigarette smoking increases the total peripheral blood leukocyte count but its effect on other haematological parameters is largely unexplored..
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of smoking and its intensity on hematological and lipid parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional study included 40 cigarette smokers and 40 non-smokers in the age range of 25 and 40 years at SRM Medical College, Kattangulathur, Tamilnadu, India. In this study the volunteers were otherwise healthy and the smokers were enquired about their intensity of smoking using smoking index. Common hematological and lipid parameters were measured in all subjects. Comparison of smoking status and its intensity among the study subjects were analysed using t-test and ANOVA..
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a significant increase in levels of haemoglobin, hematocrit, total leukocyte count, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and reduced levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) among the smokers. Heavy smokers showed significant dyslipidemia,increase in red blood cell count, total leukocyte count and neutrophil count.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increase in hemoglobin, hematocrit, total leucocyte count and dyslipidemia were found significant among smokers and in heavy smokers there is dyslipidemia with increased RBC count, total leukocyte count with specific increase in neutrophils. As per the existing literature, these changes may lead to future fatal cardiac diseases among the smokers.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre , SRM University, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Anandha Lakshmi
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: S
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre , SRM University, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Anandhi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lakshmanan
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre , SRM University, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Ganesh Kumar
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: P
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Physiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre , SRM University, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, India .
authors.forename: Saravanan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: A
keywords: Cholesterol, Hematocrit; Leucocyte count; Smokers