Introduction:

Smoking is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide and locally. Smokers present low levels of HDL cholesterol. Cessation of smoking raises HDL levels and reduces cardiovascular risk.

Objective:

Determine the relationship of HDL cholesterol levels according to smoking status.

Methods:

An Observational, longitudinal, analytical, retrospective study. The information was taken from medical records of patients with revascularized ischemic heart disease, with smoker status and HDL cholesterol levels assisted at the Secondary Prevention Unit. The results were analyzed in frequencies and means. Chi-square was performed for comparison of frequencies and student's test for the means comparison.

Results:

97 patients were studied, 48.5% were smokers, 30% were ex-smokers and 22% were non-smokers. The 58% of active smokers, 57% of smokers in cessation and 55% of ex-smokershad low values of HDL cholesterol. Six months later: 60% of active smokers, 40% of smokers in cessation and 41% of ex-smokers had low HDL values. When comparing frequencies, a value of p 0.732 was obtained at the beginning and a value of p 0.311 6 months later, not statistically significant. The total mean HDL values ​​at baseline were 40.72 mg / dl and at 6 months, 43.42 mg / dl, with a p-value of 0.003, statistically significant. The initial HDL mean of smokers in cessation was compared to the HDL mean of the ex-smokers at 6 months with a p-value 0.054 that borders on statistical significance.

Conclusions:

HDL levels were low in smokers. We observed that the cessation of smoking caused a tendency to increase HDL cholesterol levels.

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