Variation in Blood Levels of Inflammatory Markers Related and Unrelated to Smoking Cessation in Women.

This study assessed the influence of short-term changes in smoking habit on blood levels of inflammatory markers, which have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Five inflammatory markers were measured before and 6 weeks after attempting smoking cessation in 138 healthy women. In the 48 participants who stopped smoking, white blood cell count (−0.7±1.2 × 10⁹/L; P <.001) and fibrinogen (−0.6±1.5µmol/L; P <.01) decreased, but there was no significant (P >.1) change in the plasma level of C-reactive protein (median change +0.1; interquartile range −0.2, 0.9 mg/L), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (+17±75 ng/mL), or CD40 ligand (+0.4±2.1 ng/mL). Most of the individual variation in inflammatory marker levels was unrelated to changes in smoking habit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]