The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: No data is available on the effects of beedi and tobacco chewing, the two major tobacco used in India, on major hemostatic variables like platelet function tests.

Methods: Platelet aggregation, platelet counts and fibrinogen levels were studied in different smokers and tobacco chewers. 130 tobacco users (50 each bidi and cigarettesmokers , 30 tobacco chewers) and 15 non-tobacco consumers) were studied

Results: Platelet aggregation with ADP and arachidonic acid at different concentrations were estimated to find out the rate and maximum aggregability (Table 1). The order of aggregation was beedi smokers, followed by cigarette and then tobacco chewers and the difference between beedi and tobacco chewers was significant (p<0.05). Fibrinogen level was highest in cigarette smokers (Table 2). Platelet count was high

Table 1

Group	Platelet Aggregability (with ADP)			Platelet Aggregability (with Arachidonic Acid)
	10 μg/ml	25 μg/ml	50 μg/ml	10 μg/ml
Cigarette (n=50)	14.975±1.001	16.60± 1.08	17.73±1.10	18.57±2
	15.95±0.99	17.29±1.17	18.44±1.14	16.62±1.12
Beedi (n=50)	15.42±1.31	16.34± 1.43	17.65±1.25	16.25±285
	16.19±1.25	17.14±1.36	18.46±1.39	17.12±0.81
Tobacco Chewers (n=30)	14.54±1.19	15.73± 1.55	17.10±1.34	15.31±1.24
	15.498±1.18	16.48±1.49	18.00±1.27	16.26±1.26
Controls (n=15)	12.77±1.01	14.38±1.17	16.01±1.07	15.33±1.04
	13.43±1.73	15.26±1.09	17.5±1.33	16.31±1.07
P (ANOVA)	0.001	0.001	0.05	0.61-0.02
First line in each coloumn denotes rate of aggregation (in ohms) and the second line denotes the maximum aggregation (in ohms)

Table 2

Group	Platelet Count (1X1011/L)	Fibrinogen level (gm/L)
Cigarette (n=50)	1.93±0.48	4.30±2.13
Beedi (n=50)	2.78±.536	3.91±.71
Tobacco Chewers (n=30)	2.12±.479	3.32±.91
Controls (n=15)	1.81±.353	3.46±.87
P	0.016	0.018