Effect of cigarette smoking on carotid IMT and FRS

Objective: To investigate 1) whether smokers and no smokers with identical Framingham risk score (FRS) have a different subclinical vascular damage and 2) whether moderate cigarette smoking throughout the life (in terms of packyears, a measure of total exposure to cigarette smoking not considered in the FRS) may be considered harmless as compared to the effects of heavy cigarette smoking on the extent of sub-clinical atherosclerosis. Methods: Carotid IMTs of never-, moderate- (packyears<30) and heavy-smokers (packyears≥30), matched for age, gender and FRS, were compared (n=72 per group). Results: As a result of the FRS-matching, moderate- and heavy-smokers were fully comparable for all the vascular risk factors (VRFs) included into the algorithm. In contrast, never-smokers had, consequently to the matching, higher levels of total and LDL-cholesterol, blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (all p