Elevated red blood cell distribution width in healthy smokers

Abstract

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been reported to be a marker of morbidity and mortality for some cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. We aimed to evaluate RDW values in otherwise healthy smokers. Two hundred and twenty consecutive subjects with current smoking and 230 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects without smoking history were enrolled. Number of cigarettes smoked per day and duration of smoking, evaluated as pack years, were recorded. Complete blood count, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and lipid profile were analyzed in all study participants. The mean RDW values were higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (13.9±1.2 vs. 13.1±0.8, p<0.0001). The mean leukocyte count, mean platelet volume and hs-CRP levels were also significantly greater in smokers when compared to nonsmokers (8440±1.750 vs. 7090±1550, p<0.0001; 8.7±0.8 fL vs. 8.3±0.6 fL, p<0.0001; 2.42±0.53 mg/L vs. 1.46±0.52 mg/L, p<0.0001, respectively). Significant positive correlations between RDW and number of cigarettes smoked per day and between RDW and duration of smoking were identified (r=0.565 and r=0.305, respectively). Elevated RDW is associated with cigarette smoking and may be a useful indicator of inflammatory activity in smokers.