Effect of smoking and dietary saturated fats on platelet functions in Scottish farmers.

Coagulation and platelet aggregation to thrombin and adrenaline, before and 10 min after smoking one high nicotine cigarette, were studied in 40 healthy male farmers (40 to 45 years) from the South-West and North-East of Scotland. These tests were conducted in association with detailed dietary studies. In the West group the intake of dairy fats, saturated fats and P/S ratio as well as most of the platelet function tests estimated were significantly higher than in the East group. Serum cholesterol (total and HDL) was similar in the two regions, while triglycerides were lower in the West. Smoking one cigarette considerably enhanced the platelet functions in both areas but the increases were more marked in the West group. The increase in the response of platelets to smoking was additive to that apparently induced by the intake of saturated fat in such a way the response of platelets to thrombin and epinephrine after smoking one cigarette in the West was approximately four times this obtained before smoking (or in a non-smoker) in the East. These additive effects of cigarette and saturated fat might be relevant to the reported higher incidence of coronary heart disease in the West of Scotland.