Variation in blood levels of inflammatory markers related and unrelated to smoking cessation in women.

This study assessed the influence of short-term changes in smoking habit on blood levels of inflammatory markers, which have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Five inflammatory markers were measured before and 6 weeks after attempting smoking cessation in 138 healthy women. In the 48 participants who stopped smoking, white blood cell count (−0.7±1.2 × 109/L; P .1) change in the plasma level of C-reactive protein (median change +0.1; interquartile range −0.2, 0.9 mg/L), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (+17±75 ng/mL), or CD40 ligand (+0.4±2.1 ng/mL). Most of the individual variation in inflammatory marker levels was unrelated to changes in smoking habit.