The effect of Cigarette Smoking on Serum Uric Acid Concentration of Adult Sudanese Smokers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Uric acid in humans is the most abundant aqueous antioxidant, accounting for up to 60% of serum free radical scavenging capacity. It is an important intracellular free radical scavenger during metabolic stress such as smoking and hence its level in serum reflects the antioxidant capacity. This study aimed to assess the effect of cigarette smoking on the levels of serum uric acid in Sudanese people. Materials and methods: The study included 268 apparently healthy Sudanese volunteers, from them 134 were cigarette smoker males and females, and 134 were nonsmokers as a control group. Blood specimens were collected for estimation of uric acid in serum using automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS program. Results: The mean age of smokers was 40 years (SD= 10), while it was 37 years (SD=12) for nonsmokers. Serum UA in smokers ranged between 3.7 and 6.8 mg/dl with mean of 4.8 mg/dl (SD=0.77), while it ranged between 3.5 and 7.3 mg/dl with a mean of 5.2 mg/dl (SD=0.91) in non-smokers. Duration of smoking and number of cigarettes smoked were inversely correlates with serum uric acid concentration. Conclusion: The mean of serum uric acid was lower in smokers compared to non-smokers, and has significant negative correlation with smoking status including the average number of cigarettes smoked/day and duration of smoking.