Cigarette smoking exacerbates health problems in young men.

OBJECTIVE

To examines the hypothesis that smoking exacerbates health problems in young male smokers (age range, 18.6-22.8 yr; mean, 19.4 yr).

METHODS

1169 subjects were recruited, 25.41 % were smokers (2-15 cigarettes daily). All subjects were examined for body mass index, blood pressure, exhaled carbon monoxide content (carboxyl hemoglobin), blood hematology and biochemistry.

RESULTS

Data for WBC (P < 0.001), hemoglobin (P=0.001), hematocrit (P=0.004), MCV (P=0.001), MCH (P=0.003), COHB% (P < 0.001), albumin/globulin (P < 0.001) and triglyceride (P < 0.001) were higher for smokers than non-smokers, while total-bilirubin (P < 0.001), total protein (P < 0.001) and globulin (P < 0.001) were markedly lower. The results of WBC (r=0.164, P < 0.004), COHB% (r=0.958, P < 0.001), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (r=0.159, P=0.006), alkaline-phosphatase (r=-0.154, P=0.008) and triglyceride (r=0.144, P < 0.001) were closely correlated with number of cigarettes smoked daily. Investigation of associations with illness revealed that young smokers had an increased risk of hypertriglyceridemia to young non-smokers (adjusted ORs, 2.124; 95% CIs, 1.414-3.190), hyperglycemia (adjusted ORs, 1.980; 95% CIs, 0.803-4.901), neutrophilia (adjusted ORs, 1.947; 95% CIs, 1.248-3.037), RBC macrocytosis (adjusted ORs, 1.929; 95% CIs, 1.137-3.275), hyperchromia (adjusted ORs, 1.844; 95% CIs, 1.412-2.407) and polycythemia (adjusted ORs, 1.314; 95% CIs, 0.805-2.145) (all P < 0.05 for linear trends).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings emphasize the importance of increasing surveillance of diseases exacerbated by smoking and reducing smoking in the young to prevent cardiovascular illnesses, metabolite disorders and other clinical diseases.