Longitudinal Study of Smoking, Smoking Cessation, and Serum Biomarkers for Hypertensive Male Smokers During One Year

الملخص

In this study, we attempt to understand the effect of smoking and its cessation on the serum biomarkers of male hypertensives (males with high blood pressure). 400 participants aged 25-70 were recruited from Iraqi specialty clinics. 300 were smokers and 100 were healthy controls. Smokers were classified based on age and smoking history into three groups, Group A (long-term), Group B (mid-term), Group C (recent), and Group D as the control. Serum levels of leptin, growth hormone (GH), beta-catenin, Endothelin-1 (ET-1), and norepinephrine were quantified using ELISA. Group A smokers had the highest mean levels of leptin (8.4±0.34 ng/mL), ET-1 (6.9±0.24 ng/mL), and norepinephrine (1140±34.32 pg/mL). They showed also the lowest levels of GH and beta-catenin (0.2±0.04 ng/mL; 0.21±0.03 ng/mL, respectively). Elevated levels of the mentioned biomarkers persisted even a year after cessation of smoking. This study emphasizes the damaging effect of smoking on some biomarkers related to the cardiovascular and endocrine systems and provides the rationale for conducting a long-term study for hypertensive smokers after cessation.