Association between Smoking and Anthropometric Characteristics, Biochemical Markers, and Dietary Intake of Pakistani Male Adult Population.
Tobacco smoke contains many oxidants and free radicals that can cause damage to lipids, proteins, DNA, carbohydrates and other bio-molecules. It also contains numerous pro-oxidants capable of producing free radicals and enhancing the oxidative stress in vivo.
Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that cigarette smoking causes oxidative stress, impaired antioxidant blood levels, increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, stroke and premature deaths. Cigarette smoking, with no minimum age with regards to the legal purchase of tobacco and related products has multiplied the human sufferings by the overwhelming burden of chronic diseases, disabilities and premature deaths.
Lower mean serum zinc level of smokers but a non-significant difference in the mean dietary intake between the smokers and non-smokers suggest that toxic compounds of tobacco may alter zinc metabolism to the extent of changing the serum zinc level.
Correlation coefficients revealed that there was a significant relationship between weight, height, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, systolic and diastolic blood pressure but there was a lack of association between the biochemical, anthropometric and dietary intake variables.
The study concludes that anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, demographic and socio-economic characteristics are insensitive to the adverse effects of smoking as most of the indicators of smokers are comparable to non-smokers. Due to funding constraints, the sample size of smokers and non-smokers was relatively small that could have limited the statistical power of the study.
Adv Food Technol Nutr Sci Open J. 2015; 1(4): 88-96. doi:10.17140/AFTNSOJ-1-116