RESUMO
To see the levels of ESR in clinically healthy Smokers and compare it with clinically healthy controls. To show the ESR in IHD and hypertension and compare it with controls. To correlate ESR with fibrinogen and haematocrit. Design: ESR measured according to the method recommended by International Committee for Standardization in Haematology to see its levels in clinically healthy controls, smokers, patients of IHD and hypertensives. Setting: epartment of Physiology, Dow Medical College, CHK and BMSI, JPMC, Karachi. Subjects: 148 adults [43 IHD patients] none of whom had diabetes mellitus, liver disease, CCF, malignancy, bleeding disorders and respiratory disease. Main outcome Measures: To study the effects of persistently raised ESR as a risk factor for IHD. ESR was found to be 7.93 +/- 0.63 [mean +/- sem] in controls, 1 1.63 +/- 0.41 in smokers, 20.4 +/- 1.4 in hypertensives and 22.5 +/- 2.00 in IHD patients with P < 0.001 when compared to control group. Correlation of ESR / fibrinogen and ESR/haematocrit were r = 0.7 and r = -0.2 in controls while these correlations were found to be r = 0.45 and r = -0.16 in 118 cases. ESR is found to be higher in clinically healthy smokers so there is a need to compile a laboratory data for healthy persons excluding smokers. ESR is also found higher in hypertensives and is highest in IHD patients than controls. Persistently raised ESR may be regarded as a risk factor for IHD. ESR still is a useful test if performed with strict precautions and keeping in view the factors affecting its results