Qat and its health effects

El-Wajeh, Yasin A M; Thornhill, Martin H.

doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.1122

Cited by 39 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This review does not deal with the psychological and neuropharmacological properties of khat chewing which can be found in recent reviews (Feyissa and Kelly, 2008). Other adverse health effects such as the incidence of oral diseases, including periodontitis, oral leukoplakia and oral cancer, associated with khat chewing are also reviewed elsewhere (El-Wajeh and Thornhill, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Khat chewing, cardiovascular diseases and other internal medical problems: The current situation and directions for future research

Al‐Motarreb

Al‐Habori

Broadley

2010

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

172

150

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The leaves of khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) are chewed as a social habit for the central stimulant action of their cathinone content. This review summarizes the prevalence of the habit worldwide, the actions, uses, constituents and adverse health effects of khat chewing. There is growing concern about the health hazards of chronic khat chewing and this review concentrates on the adverse effects on health in the peripheral systems of the body, including the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Comparisons are made with amphetamine and ecstasy in particular on the detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. The underlying mechanisms of action of khat and its main constituent, cathinone, on the cardiovascular system are discussed. Links have been proposed between khat chewing and the incidence of myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, vascular disease such as hypertension, cerebrovascular ischaemia and thromboembolism, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, duodenal ulcer and hepatitis. The evidence, however, is often based on limited numbers of case reports and only few prospective controlled studies have been undertaken. There is therefore an urgent need for more thorough case-control studies to be performed. This review outlines the current knowledge on the adverse health effects of khat chewing on the cardiovascular system and other internal medical problems, it assesses the evidence and the limitations of the studies and identifies the questions that future studies should address.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Khat chewing, cardiovascular diseases and other internal medical problems: The current situation and directions for future research

Al‐Motarreb

Al‐Habori

Broadley

2010

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

172

150

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“…Moreover, its use is quickly spreading to other parts of the world, especially in immigrant communities (Al-Motarreb et al, 2002;El-Wajeh and Thornhill, 2009). Khat leaves contain the alkaloids cathine and cathinone that have amphetamine-like properties which cause psycho-stimulation effects in the form of euphoria and excitement (Schechter, 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Khat (Catha edulis) alters the phenotype and anti-microbial activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Murdoch

Aziz

Fang

et al. 2011

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

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“…Reported motivators for using khat includes enhancing alertness during studying in students (Zein, 1988) and relief of physical and mental stress among women (Nabuzoka and Badhadhe, 2000; Wedegaertner et al, 2010). On the other hand, public health impacts of khat chewing (Cox and Rampes, 2003; Al-Motarreb et al, 2010; El-Wajeh and Thornhill, 2009) including khat dependence (Kassim et al, 2013; Kassim et al, 2010) have been reported (al'Absi and Grabowski, 2012). Cathinone, a chemical whose structure is similar to amphetamine (Kalix, 1992), and other indigents such as cathedulins and other alkaloids (Hougton et al, 2012) have been suggested to be responsible for addictive properties of khat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severity of khat dependence among adult khat chewers: The moderating influence of gender and age

Nakajima

Dokam

Alsameai

et al. 2014

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

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The escalating use of khat (Catha edulis) in East Africa and Arabia is a major concern for public health. Yet little is known about the impact of khat on behaviour. To that end, there has been no study in the region to assess the extent to which dependence syndrome is associated with khat use in this population. We examined in this study was psychometric properties of the Severity of Dependence Scale-Khat (SDS-khat), gender differences in patterns of khat use and dependence, and the extent to which age moderated the link between gender and khat dependence. Two-hundred and ninety-two khat chewers recruited in two Yemeni cities completed face-to-face interviews asking about demographics and patterns of khat use. Validity of SDS-khat was examined by the principle component analysis and reliability of the scale was tested by the Cronbach's alpha. A series of chi-square tests and analysis of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted to examine gender differences in khat use variables. The results indicated that the mean age of khat chewers was 30.52 years (95% CI: 29.34, 31.70) years, and 52% of them were males. The SDS-khat was found to have two factors with moderate reliability. This pattern was consistent when the analysis was conducted in the entire sample and in each gender. Male khat chewers reported more symptoms related to khat dependence than female chewers. A significant gender by age interaction in SDS-khat levels (p =0.013) revealed a positive association between age and khat dependence in women only. These results provide initial support for the use of SDS-khat in the assessment of khat dependence in Yemen. Gender differences in khat use patterns and dependence observed in this study call the need for more studies carefully examining the role of gender in khat research.

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Qat and its health effects

Cited by 39 publications

References 46 publications

Khat chewing, cardiovascular diseases and other internal medical problems: The current situation and directions for future research

Khat chewing, cardiovascular diseases and other internal medical problems: The current situation and directions for future research

Khat (Catha edulis) alters the phenotype and anti-microbial activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Severity of khat dependence among adult khat chewers: The moderating influence of gender and age

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