Effect of cigarette smoking on serum lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein levels in hypertensives receiving β-adrenoreceptor blocking drugs

Both cigarette smoking and propranolol administration significantly alter plasma lipid profile. We examined the relationship of cigarette smoking and propranolol administration with fasting serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoprotein cholesterol subfractions (high density, low density, and very low density), Apo-A, Apo-B and ratios obtained from these variables in 42 hypertensive patients. Significantly lower values of HDL cholesterol, Apo-A and HDL-C/total cholesterol and Apo-A/Apo-B ratios were observed in smokers taking propranolol than non-smokers not taking propranolol. Smokers who were not on propranolol also had significantly lower values as compared to non-smokers. These findings suggest that smoking may be the more significant factor responsible for alteration in lipid profile.