Peripheral artery disease occurs when arteries in your legs get thinner and harder due to fatty deposit buildup. An STL Health and Fitness article reports that three out of four women are not familiar with the disease. The disease may cause pain and lead to a less active lifestyle or limb amputation. The article notes that many women who are aware of peripheral artery disease are not aware cigarette smoking and high cholesterol are risk factors for the disease.
Lower HDL
A study published in the journal "Circulation" revealed that men and women who were smokers had lower HDL cholesterol levels than non-smokers. The American Heart Association suggests that higher HDL cholesterol levels protects you from having a heart attack and low levels of HDL cholesterol increase your risk for heart disease. According to the "Circulation" study, the HDL levels of men who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day were 11 percent lower than nonsmokers. The HDL levels of women were 14 percent lower in smokers than nonsmokers.
LDL Effects
According to the American Heart Association, excessive LDL cholesterol in your blood can slowly build up inside the walls of the arteries that feed your heart and brain. This buildup can further contribute to hardening your arteries by forming plaques in a condition known as atherosclerosis, which increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. A study published in the "Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology" reveals that cigarette smoke may cause changes in LDL cholesterol molecules that make them more "atherogenic" and "cytotoxic."
Higher Total Cholesterol
A study published in the journal "Acta Medica Scandinavica" shows that daily cigarette smokers had average lower body weight and higher total serum cholesterol values than nonsmokers. Results of the study revealed that men who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day had higher total serum cholesterol levels and higher body weight than non-smokers. A study in the "British Medical Journal" reveals that smokers averaged 3 percent higher serum cholesterol, 9 percent higher triglycerides and 10 percent higher LDL cholesterol levels compared to nonsmokers.
Causal Relationship
According to the American Heart Association, smoking decreases your levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol. A study published in "Acta Medica Scandinavica" reveals that increasing daily exposure to cigarette smoke may parallel increasing cholesterol levels. The study indicates that cholesterol levels of former cigarette smokers also increased with the number of cigarettes smoked before quitting. A study in the "British Medical Journal" suggests that cholesterol levels may depend on the "dose" of cigarette smoke. These studies suggest there may be a causal relationship between the number of cigarettes a person smokes and his total cholesterol level.
Crystal Clefts
According to a study published in the journal "Thorax," electron microscopy of lung tissue from heavy cigarette smokers revealed "acicular crystal clefts" inside the cells of every "type II pneumocyte" cell. The researchers suggest that the crystal clefts represent cholesterol, which may represent a degenerative change in the cells. Type II pneumocytes produce surfactant to reduce surface tension throughout your lungs. The researchers speculate that cigarette smoke may increase surfactant synthesis in type II pneumocytes, which may form crystal clefts as a byproduct.
References
- American Heart Association: Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular Diseases
- "Circulation": Cigarette smoking and plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- "Acta Medica Scandinavica": The intercorrelation of serum cholesterol, cigarette smoking and body weight
- "Thorax": Cholesterol in the lungs of heavy cigarette smokers
- "British Medical Journal": Cigarette smoking and serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations
- "Journal of Environmental Pathology, Toxicology and Oncology": Cigarette smoke increases cholesterol oxidation
