Cardiovascular Disease risk Factors in Male Cigarette Smokers in Calabar, Southern Nigeria

Cigarette smoking has been linked to atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disorders and various malignancies. However, the mechanism by which smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases is still controversial. One hundred and forty one apparently healthy male cigarette smokers and sixty apparently healthy non-smokers aged 18 to 65 years were enrolled into the study. The smokers were sub-divided into light (30 pack years) smokers. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured. Fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides and High density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were estimated using colorimetric test methods while low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein were calculated using Friedewald’s equation. Serum insulin was estimated using ELISA. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0; level of significance was set at p