Summary
There is an increased frequency of arterial thrombosis in cigarette smokers. The changes
in blood coagulation seen in these subjects have been studied by many workers but
results have not always been in agreement. We wished to study the effects of acute
.smoking on platelet behaviour, fibrinolysis and haemorheology in ten habitual smokers,
and to compare these results with nonsmoking controls. Results show that the smoking
group had higher plasma fibrinogen (p <0.04), lower plasminogen (p <0.02) and plasminogen
activator (p <0.05), and higher plasma viscosity (p <0.003). The changes seen in cigarette
smokers after smoking three cigarettes were an increase in the rate of platelet aggregation
to ADP (p <0.02), an increase in α2M, (p <0.02), and factor VIII RAG (p <0.05). Plasma
viscosity was decreased (p <0.02) as was red cell deformability (p >0.02).
We confirm an increased tendency to hypercoagulability in smokers compared to controls
which becomes more pronounced immediately after smoking three cigarettes.
Key Words
Cigarette smoking - Platelets - Fibrinolysis - Red cell deformability - Blood viscosity
- Plasma viscosity
