Assessment of Haematological Parameters among Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco Users in Bengaluru: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Use of tobacco is one of the major causes of death worldwide, and it harms all the tissues and organs of the body, including blood. Tobacco is consumed worldwide despite its adverse effects. Numerous studies have been done on the haematological parameters and smoking or smokeless tobacco use, but limited studies exist on the combined form (smoking and smokeless tobacco use) and haematological parameters. Aim: To investigate the effect of smoking and smokeless tobacco on the haematological parameters of tobacco users in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India from September 2024 to February 2025, with a total of 80 participants (20 smokers, 20 smokeless tobacco users, 20 both smoking and smokeless tobacco users and 20 non tobacco users) in the age range of 20 to 85 years. They were selected on the basis of inclusion criteria of using five cigarettes/day for at least three years and three packets of chewable tobacco/day for at least three years among the participants attending a dental Institution in Bengaluru. Clinical examination was done for any mucosal lesions. A 5 mL of venous blood was collected, and complete blood count analysis was carried out. All the data were subjected to statistical analysis; the Kruskal-Wallis test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test were used for intergroup comparisons, and post-hoc pairwise comparisons were performed where applicable. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: RBCs and Haemoglobin (Hb) (g/dL) were decreased in smokers and smokeless tobacco users and increased in patients with both habits. Among tobacco users, WBCs were decreased in smokers and increased in smokeless tobacco users and in patients with both habits. Mean platelet counts were higher in the three tobacco-use groups than in controls; however, the between-group difference was not statistically significant. Red Blood Cells (RBC) (p=0.031), Packed Cell Volume (PCV) (p=0.026) and eosinophil count (p=0.049) were statistically significant between the groups. Conclusion: The current study shows that there are variations in the haematological parameters due to the tobacco habit of all forms, and awareness of this among the public may prevent Oral Cancer, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and other tobacco-related disorders.