Comparing Lipid Levels of Smokers and Non-smokers in Sagamu, South-West, Nigeria

Background: Serum lipid levels are known to be affected by the level of smoking of individuals in an environment. The prevalence of current smokers in Nigeria is 10.4%. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the blood lipid levels of selected people of Sagamu, Nigeria. Methods: This study involved 100 subjects selected using random sampling method in Sagamu, aged 25 to 54 years. Hypertensive and Diabetic subjects were exempted. The weight in kg and height in meters of each subject were measured. The body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) was calculated. Lipid profile (LP) was determined by analytical method. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: There were 80 males and 20 females in the study population. 40 (80.0%) males and 10 (20.0%) females were smokers in the study group. There were 24 (48.0%) smokers and 27 (54.0%) non-smokers in the age group 25 and 34 years. Two (4.0%) smokers of the study group were obese while 4 (8.0%) were obese non-smokers. Eighteen (36.0%) smokers and 14 (28.0%) non-smokers were overweight. The average total cholesterol (TC) of 198.71 ± 2.30 mg/dL in smokers was significantly greater than 174.62 ± 1.51 mg/dL in non-smokers (P < 0.05). The mean high-density lipoprotein (HDL) of 56.74 ± 1.15 mg/dL in non-smokers was significantly higher than 40.87 ± 1.32 mg/dL in smokers (P < 0.05). The average TC of 195.38 ± 2.22 mg/dL in male smokers was significantly greater than 166.04 ±1.51 mg/dL in male non-smokers (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The HDL levels in smokers are lower than non-smokers. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), and TC in smokers are however higher. The lipid levels of smokers gotten from this study can be used as a baseline for future study.