Decreased serum calcium levels and negative correlation with degree of nicotine dependence in heavy smokers

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of cigarette smoking on serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) calcium levels in Chinese heavy smokers.

Methods: One hundred and sixty-seven male subjects were divided into non-smokers (95) and heavy smokers (72). Serum and CSF calcium concentrations were assayed. Smoking status was recorded and the degree of nicotine dependence (FNTD) was assessed by questionnaire. Analysis of variance was performed to assess the differences among dichotomous groups. Partial correlations between calcium level and FNTD scores were calculated.

Results: In this population-based study, heavy smokers had significantly lower serum calcium levels than did non-smokers (p < .01). There was no difference in CSF calcium levels between heavy smokers and non-smokers. The average number of cigarettes smoked per day contributed to the decreased serum calcium levels in heavy smokers, while the age of smoking onset and smoking years did not affect serum levels within the smoker group. Furthermore, serum calcium levels negatively correlated with FNTD items 1, 4, 5, 6 and total scores; however, no correlation between CSF calcium levels and FNTD scores was found.

Conclusions: Serum calcium levels decreased significantly in Chinese heavy smokers and were associated with the average number of cigarettes smoked per day and the degree of nicotine dependence in heavy smokers.

KEYWORDS:

• Calcium
• cerebrospinal fluid
• smoking
• FNTD

Disclosure of potential conflict of interest

The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest (financial or otherwise) related to the data presented in this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81560229), Xinjiang Science and Technology Support Project (No. 2018E02061), Projects of Medical and Health Technology Program in Zhejiang Province (2017KY720) and Basic and Public Research Project of Zhejiang Province (LGF18H020001).