PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY SPRING 200768

This study assessed the influence of short-term changes in smoking habit on blood levels of inflammatory markers, which have been associ-ated 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 inflam-matory marker levels was unrelated to changes in smoking habit. (Prev Cardiol. 2007;10:68–75) ©2007 Le Jacq Cigarette smoking increases cardiovascular risk, possibly in part by promoting inflammation. Large epidemiologic studies have reported higher blood levels of inflammatory markers including white blood cell count (WBC), fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in smokers compared with nonsmokers.1–4 Inflammatory marker levels remain higher in ex-smokers compared with nonsmokers for years after quitting smoking, suggesting that smoking may have long-term effects on inflam-matory diseases such as periodontitis, pulmonary disease, and atherosclerosis. Epidemiologic stud-ies, however, provide limited information on how short-term changes in smoking habit influence blood levels of inflammatory markers in individu-als. The aim of this study was to assess reversible pro-inflammatory effects of cigarette smoking on 5 inflammatory markers associated with increased cardiovascular risk (WBC, fibrinogen, CRP, inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 [ICAM-1], and CD40 ligand [CD40L]) before and 6 weeks after smoking cessation in otherwise healthy women