Weight gain and adipose tissue metabolism after smoking cessation in women

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2001-09, Vol.25 (9), p.1322-1326
• Main Authors: FERRARA, C. M, KUMAR, M, NICKLAS, B, MCCRONE, S, GOLDBERG, A. P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adipose tissue; Biological and medical sciences; Body fat; Body weight; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Glycerol; Health risks; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Medical sciences; Metabolism; Plasma; Smoking; Smoking cessation; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801716

BACKGROUND:: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and is an important preventable cause of death and illness. One major deterrent to smoking cessation is a gain in body weight. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to this weight gain may maximize the success of long-term smoking cessation. We hypothesized that smoking cessation is associated with an increase in adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (AT-LPL) activity and/or a decrease in lipolysis, two metabolic factors that determine the balance between fat storage and fat utilization, and thus affect the propensity for weight gain. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: Ten premenopausal women (37.1±6.2 y, 31.7±6.4 kg/m2 body mass index (BMI), mean±s.d.) participated in a 4 week smoking cessation program. Measurements of body weight, waist and hip circumferences, adipose cell metabolism and resting metabolic rate were obtained at baseline and after 4 weeks of smoking cessation. RESULTS:: Of the 10 women who began the intervention, five successfully completed the smoking cessation intervention. After 4 weeks of smoking cessation, there were significant increases in body weight (95.1±13.9-97.7±14.4 kg, P