Cigarette smoking continues to be a major health hazard, and it contributes significantly to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Cigarette smoking impacts all phases of atherosclerosis from endothelial dysfunction to acute clinical events, the latter being largely thrombotic. Both active and pa It has been well established that cigarette smoking is a powerful risk factor for coronary artery disease. A number of epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between cigarette smoking and atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and death from coronary artery disease. In addition to active smoking, passive smoking can also carry a risk of coronary artery disease. Although the detailed mechanism through which cigarette smoking is associated with cardiovascular disease has not yet been clarified. We sought to investigate whether plasma fibrin clot structure/function differ between healthy smokers and never-smokers. Cigarette smoking in healthy individuals results in significant and considerable effects on platelet morphological indices. The mean platelet count is significantly increased, and platelet values are reduced, compared with non-smoking status. Key Words: Platelets - plasma clot - Cigarette smoking (CS) - Atherosclerosis – predisposing factors.
