Effect of cigarette smoking based on hematological parameters: comparison between male smokers and non-smokers

Objective: The effects of cigarette smoking on human health are serious and in many cases, deadly. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent of adverse effects of cigarette smoking on biochemical characteristics of blood in male population of Quetta city in Pakis- tan. Subjects and Method: One hundred and forty two male subjects participated in this study: smokers (n=71) and nonsmokers (n=71). The smokers were regularly consuming 11-20 ciga- rettes per day for at least 3 years. Complete blood cell count were measured by Nihon Codon fully automatic Hematological analyzer. Results: The smokers had significantly higher levels of white blood cell (p<0.027), red blood cell (p<0.011), hemoglobin (p<0.001) and hematocrit (p<0.006), whereas mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p<0.009) and platelet crit (p<0.017) were significantly lower. Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings showed that continuous cigarette smoking has se- vere adverse affects on hematological parameters (e.g., hemoglobin, hematocrit, WBC count, RBC count, and platelet crit) and these alterations might be associated with a greater risk for developing atherosclerosis, polycythemia vera, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/ or cardiovascular diseases.