Depressed plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate levels in tobacco-smoking men.

Tobacco-smoking men (n = 106) showed considerably lower plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate levels (P less than 0.001) than non-smoking controls (n = 143). A previously reported inverse relationship between plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate levels and age is confirmed by using new and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography methodology for pyridoxal-5'-phosphate determinations. Plasma pyridoxal levels were neither lower in tobacco-smoking men nor could any relationship between pyridoxal levels and age be demonstrated. Two major risk factors for coronary artery disease, tobacco-smoking and increasing age, are thus associated with lower plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate levels.