The Eberbach/Wiesloch Study: Influence of Cigarette Smoking on Lipoprotein Profiles

Summary

Plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles, plasma cotinine levels, and smoking habits of a randomly selected sample of middle-aged men and women in two representative towns of the Federal Republic of Germany were investigated. Mean plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in smoking men and women. Smoking women had significantly reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Smokers of both sexes had 16- to 20-fold higher plasma cotinine levels than non- or ex-smokers. Plasma cotinine levels correlated positively with very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides, VLDL- cholesterol, intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) triglycerides, VLDL-apoprotein (Apo) CI, and HDL₃-Apo CII in men and women. Positive correlations between plasma cotinine and Apo CII, Apo CIII₁, and Apo CIII₂ of VLDL were only observed in women. On the other hand, plasma cotinine correlated negatively with HDL₂ cholesterol, HDL₂ phospholipids, and HDL₂ Apo CIII₁ in both sexes. Futhermore, in women, plasma cotinine correlated negatively with HDL₂ APO AI, HDL2 APO AII, HDL₂ Apo CI, HDL₂ Apo CII, and HDL2 Apo CIII₀.

These results suggest that chronic cigarette smoking has profound effects on plasma lipid and lipoprotein profiles, which become much more evident when plasma cotinine levels are used as a quantitative parameter for cigarette consumption. Plasma cotinine seems a reliable and objective parameter to study the influence of smoking habits. Finally, lipoprotein profiles of men and women are affected differently.