Sex-Based Difference in Smoking Effects on Hematologic Parameters

Yoo Bin Seo; Eon Sook Lee; Hyuk Jin Kwon

doi:10.25055/JKSRNT.2022.13.3.83

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https://doi.org/10.25055/JKSRNT.2022.13.3.83

Sex-Based Difference in Smoking Effects on Hematologic Parameters

J Korean Soc Res Nicotine Tob 2022; 13(3): 83-92

Published online September 30, 2022

Yoo Bin Seo¹, Eon Sook Lee^2*, Hyuk Jin Kwon²

¹Department of Family Medicine, Wonkwang University Sanbon Hospital, Gunpo, ²Department of Family Medicine, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, Korea

Correspondence to: *교신저자： 이언숙
인제대학교 일산백병원 가정의학과
E-mail: leejeny@paik.ac.kr

Received September 15, 2022; Revised September 26, 2022; Accepted September 26, 2022.

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, dis-tribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract: Background: Previous studies have established an association between smoking and increased hemoglobin or white blood cell counts. However, the sex-based difference in the association is unknown although female smokers are known to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than male smokers. We evaluated the association between smoking and hematologic parameters in male and female participants separately.
Methods: Data of 22,501 adults from the seventh and eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2016-2019) were analyzed. Smoking status was evaluated by self-reports or urine cotinine. Four hematologic parameters of hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cell counts, and platelet counts were measured. Polycythemia was defined by the World Health Organization criteria of increased hemoglobin level (＞16.5 g/dL in men, ＞16.0 g/dL in women). The association between smoking and hematologic parameters was assessed using multivariate regression analysis or logistic regression analysis. Adjusted variables were age, education, income, body mass index, exercise, alcohol, and chronic disease. All analyses were performed on each male and female participant.
Results: All hematologic parameters were highest in current smokers, both male and female. The hemoglobin and WBC count levels increased linearly with increasing smoking amounts in male and female participants. However, only men were found to have an association between polycythemia and smoking (odds ratio, 1.567; 95% confidence interval, 1.334-1.841).
Conclusion: The level of hemoglobin and WBC counts increased with the amount of smoking in current smokers, which is a consistent finding in both sexes. However, the polycythemia risk of smoking differs by sex.; Keywords : Smoking; Hematologic parameter; Hemoglobin; WBC counts; Sex-based difference

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