Relationship Between Cigarette Smoking and High Packed Cell Volume and Haemoglobin Levels

In a study including 394 men and 339 women, all aged fifty, a positive correlation between cigarette consumption and packed cell volume (PCV) was found in both sexes. In women, we also found a statistically significant correlation between cigarette consumption and haemoglobin concentration. In male cigarette smokers, the incidences of PCV‐values over normal range and of subnormal MCHC‐values were significantly higher than in males, who did not smoke cigarettes (smokers and non‐smokers). We found a statistically significant negative correlation between cigarette consumption and lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second) but we found no evidence of any relationship between lung function and haematological variables. From these results we conclude that the association between cigarette smoking and haematological variables is probably not secondary to the relationship between cigarette consumption and lung function.