Cigarette smoking as a risk factor of coronary artery disease and its effects on platelet function

Abstract

It has been well established that cigarette smoking is a powerful risk factor for coronary artery disease. A number of epidemiologic studies have shown a strong association between cigarette smoking and atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and death from coronary artery disease. In addition to active smoking, passive smoking can also carry a risk of coronary artery disease. Although the detailed mechanism through which cigarette smoking is associated with cardiovascular disease has not yet been clarified, it is suggested that cigarette smoking is related to thrombogenesis, as well as atherogenesis, and blood platelet behavior is thought to be prominent among the proposed mechanisms involved in atherogenesis and thrombogenesis. The following is a review of evidence that cigarette smoking affects platelet function.

Figure 1

Time-dependent changes in PATI in non-smokers (left) and smokers (right). In both subject groups, PATI was decreased at 60 minutes after blood sampling. The PATI values at 5 minutes after blood sampling were significantly lower in the smokers than in the non-smokers, while the values at 60 minutes were identical in both subject groups [25].

Figure 2

Effect of 4 weeks' cessation of smoking on platelet aggregability. PATI at 5 minutes after blood sampling increased after cessation of smoking (left), although there was no change in the PATI at 60 minutes after blood sampling (right).