Many studies have reported on the effect of smoking on the metabolic syndrome, which is a highly prevalent cluster of disorders that are relatively common in Africans.10-12 Smoking and the metabolic syndrome together cause dyslipidaemia, increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and endothelial dysfunction.11,13 Smokers are therefore characterised by high serum triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), with significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) than non-smokers.4 The gene discussed is CRP; the disease is endothelial dysfunction.