Quitting smoking may lead to a better vascular health

Smoking cessation appears to be correlated with lower levels of oxidized high-density lipoprotein (oxHDL) and higher levels of HDL-cholesterol (c), a recent study has found.

The study included 99 nicotine-dependent adults who were being treated with varenicline for smoking cessation. Serum oxHDL and HDL-c were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and an appropriate enzymatic assay, respectively. Varenicline was being given at up to 1.0-mg doses twice-daily for 12 weeks.

Cessation treatment significantly reduced serum oxHDL levels from 163.2 U/mL at baseline to 148.3 U/mL after the intervention (p=0.034). Such effect became even more pronounced after excluding data from the six patients whose treatments were deemed to be objectively unsuccessful, as determined by having exhaled carbon monoxide levels still ≥10 ppm at 3 months.

That is, among patients for whom varenicline treatment worked, serum oxHDL dropped from a mean of 166.6 U/mL at baseline to 147.6 U/mL after the intervention (p=0.0063).

In conjunction, serum HLD-c levels significantly increased in the overall population (55.3 to 57.9 mg/dL; p=0.0044). The impact of cessation on HDL-c was not affected by excluding data from patients who failed treatment.

Spearman’s regression analysis also revealed a significant link between baseline oxHDL and HDL-c levels (R, 0.45; p<0.0001), as well as between changes in oxHDL and levels of exhaled carbon monoxide in participants for whom varenicline treatment was effective (r, 0.42; p=0.0052).

“The current study suggests that the peroxidation content of HDL is also reduced following smoking cessation with the use of varenicline,” the researchers said, adding that cessation “might be better for vascular health.”