Cigarette Smoking and Platelet Morphological Indices in Healthy Adult Men: A Cross-Sectional Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Cigarette smoke can disturb vascular homeostasis and platelet biology. Mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), plateletcrit (PCT), and platelet count are inexpensive automated indices, but published associations with smoking are inconsistent. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 100 healthy adult male smokers and 100 age-matched male non-smokers in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Platelet count, MPV, PDW, and PCT were measured using an automated hematology analyzer. Smoking exposure was classified by pack-years as mild (0.1-5), moderate (6-15), and severe (>15). Original analyses used independent-samples t tests and one-way ANOVA. Mean differences, 95% CIs, Hedges g, and eta-squared effect-size estimates were calculated from the reported group-level data. Results: Smokers had higher MPV (11.64 +/- 1.45 vs 10.99 +/- 1.37 fL; p=0.001; Hedges g=0.46) and PDW (14.79 +/- 3.58 vs 13.59 +/- 3.32 fL; p=0.015; g=0.35). Platelet count (230.77 +/- 102.02 vs 249.73 +/- 90.40 x10^3/uL; p=0.166) and PCT (0.26 +/- 0.09% vs 0.27 +/- 0.08%; p=0.411) were not significantly different. Platelet count and PCT differed overall among smoking-intensity groups (p=0.006 and p=0.009, respectively), but the pattern was non-monotonic, with the highest means in moderate smokers. MPV and PDW did not differ significantly across pack-year categories. Conclusion: Smoking was associated with modestly higher platelet size and size heterogeneity, reflected by MPV and PDW, without a parallel increase in platelet count or PCT. The non-monotonic intensity pattern argues against a simple dose-response interpretation and supports cautious use of automated platelet indices as morphological rather than direct functional markers.
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204207457