Association of Cigarette Smoking with Dyslipidemia and Abdominal Obesity as Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Young Adults

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of cigarette smoking on lipid profile and anthropometric variables among young adults. METHODOLOGY: This comparative cross-sectional study was accomplished on young adult cigarette smokers of age 22-39 years at the University of Sindh in collaboration with Indus Medical college laboratory, Tando Muhammad Khan from March 2019 to February 2020 after the approval from the Advance Research Board and Ethical Committee, University of Sindh, Jamshoro. Intravenous blood samples were drawn to determine the lipid profile. Arterial blood pressure measured using aneroid mercury sphygmomanometer Kenzmedico co. limited Japan. Their weight in kilograms and height in cm were measured on the BMI scale. Waist and hip circumferences were measured by inch measuring tape. The data was filled in self-structured Performa and analyzed on IBM, SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: Mean age of study population (n=247) was 27.41 years +/- 5.509. Cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL and VLDL levels among cigarette smokers versus non-smokers were 223.11 +/- 45.30 versus164.06 +/- 49.4 mg/dl (p-value <0.01), 235.85 +/- 99.507versus 135.13 +/- 81.6 mg/dl (p-value <0.01), 31.42 +/- 6.578 vs 34.88 +/- 8.8mg/dl (p-value <0.01), 197.59 +/- 54.5 vs 139.20 +/- 49.02 mg/dl (p-value <0.01) and 47.169 +/- 19.9 vs 27.025 +/- 16.3 mg/dl (p-value <0.01) respectively. Mean +/- SD of anthropometric variables compared between cigarette smokers and non-smokers (p-value <0.01). Fasting blood glucose (FBG mg/ dl), arterial blood pressure (mmHg) & lipid profile were compared by logistic regression with AOR adjusted for age and BMI. CONCLUSION: That there are significant alterations in anthropometric variables reflecting abdominal obesity, fasting blood glucose, arterial blood pressure, and lipid profile reflecting dyslipidemia among young cigarette smokers as compared to nonsmokers.