SMOKING-CESSATION DOES NOT CHANGE URINARY ALBUMIN EXCRETION IN NORMALSUBJECTS

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of smoking cessation on urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in normal subjects. The study consist ed of two parts. The first was a randomized LC-week study, in which 18 2 heavy smokers were asked to quit smoking immediately (n=69, availabl e for analysis) or to continue smoking for another 4 weeks (n=70, avai lable for analysis). After 4 weeks, the latter group was also asked to stop smoking. The second part was a nonrandomized follow-up study com paring UAE in 33 unsuccessful and 57 successful quitters followed for 26 weeks. Measurements of UAE (ELISA) were taken from 24-h urine sampl es before smoking cessation, after 4 weeks, and after 26 weeks. After 4 weeks, no statistically significant change in UAE was found within e ach group or between quitters and smokers. The 95% confidence interval s of the change in log UAE were -7.4 to 9.9% of the initial value in t he smoker group and -4.9 to 21.3% in the quitter group. In the second part of the study, after 26 weeks, a 16% increase (95% confidence inte rval 5.5 to 26.5%) in mean log UAE was found in the group that had sto pped smoking (p<0.003), but no statistically significant difference in UAE between continued smokers and quitters was found after adjusting for the baseline level (ANCOVA). In conclusion, smoking cessation seem s to have no effect on UAE within the physiological range in normal su bjects over an observation period of 4 weeks, and no sign of a decreas e in UAE was seen after 26 weeks of smoking cessation.