Evaluation of Serum Triglyceride and Total Cholesterol Status in Adolescent Smoker

Objectives: A cross sectional comparative study was performed to evaluate the changes of the serum lipid profile in apparently healthy adolescent male non smokers and smokers’ subjects. Method: This study was carried out in the department of Physiology of Dhaka Medical College from January to December 2005. For this purpose, total 80 subjects with age range 12-19 years were selected, of whom 20 were non smokers (control) and 60 were smokers (experimental) who smoked for at least one year. Again smokers were grouped according to the number of cigarettes smoked per week, ( mild < 19, moderate 20-59, heavy >60). Fasting serum Triglyceride and total Cholesterol levels of all subjects were measured. Data were compared between smokers and non smokers and between non smoker and mild moderate and heavy smokers and analyzed statistically by unpaired t test. Result: Mean ±SD Triglyceride levels were136.80mg/dl ± 42.18 vs. 153.12mg/dl ± 26.66 and Mean ±SD Total Cholesterol levels were 165.20mg/dl ± 15.13 vs165.36mg/dl ± 10.12 in non smokers and smokers respectively. there were no significant changes in the mean serum total cholesterol levels in adolescent smokers but the mean serum triglyceride level in smokers were significantly higher (p<0.01 )than that of non smokers. hyper Triglyceridemia (TG level> 150mg/dl) were observed in 56% of smoker subjects whereas 36% in non smokers. The dose response effect of smoking was observed in serum triglyceride levels of smoker subgroups. Mean ±SD TG levels in mild, moderate, heavy groups were 148.15mg/dl± 21.32,152.8mg/dl± 29.49,154.12mg/dl± 23.75 respectively. Conclusion: From the result of the present study it may be concluded that, cigarette smoking during adolescent period induces alteration in serum lipid levels in the direction of increased risk for coronary artery disease. J Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2006 Dec;(1):14-18