Association of High-Sensitive C-reactive Protein and Atherogenic Lipid Levels Among Group of University Students with Habitual Smoking

High-Sensitive C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP) is a well-known inflammatory and cardiovascular disease (CVD) marker. Non high density lipoprotein cholesterol (n-HDL-C) concentration in blood is strongly associated with long-term risk of atherosclerotic CVD. Hs-CRP and atherogenic lipids are suggested to be a central feature of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among smokers. Smoking for long duration seems to be correlated with high level of hs-CRP, plasma cholesterol and LDL-C. The aim of study is to evaluate the plasma levels of hs-CRP, lipid profile, and magnesium in a group of university students with habitual smoking. This cross-sectional study included eighty current smoking males. The latex immune turbidimetric method was used to estimate plasma hs-CRP, and chemical methods were used to estimate plasma lipid profile and magnesium using a spectrophotometer (Biosystem 310). A test group of students who smokes for ten years or more had a significant increase in means of plasma hs-CRP, total cholesterol, LDL-C (P value< 0.05), while there was a significant decrease in means of plasma HDL-C (P value <0.05). The findings showed that cigarette smoke was linked to significant alterations in hs-CRP and atherogenic lipids, both of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young male smokers.