Adverse Effects of Khat (Catha edulis) Chewing in Yemeni Adults: A Case-Control Study

Background: Khat is the common name for the plant Catha edulis. The leaves and buds of Khat are chewedand their use is an established cultural tradition for many social situations in Yemen. Traditionally, Khat hasbeen frequently chewed on social occasions, in public spaces or designated rooms in private homes. Themedical and psychosocial impacts of khat chewing have been reported previously. However, the effect ofchewing Khat on some biochemical and hematological parameters needs further investigation.Objectives: This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Khat chewing on a number of biochemicaland hematological parameters in a population-based groups.Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty eight (n=188) subjects who have completed thequestionnaire were included in this study. Ninety eight (n= 98) subjects among these were Khat chewers andninety (n= 90) were non-chewers of Khat. Blood samples were collected from each subject in the study tomeasure uric acid, rheumatoid factor (RF) and complete blood cell (CBC) counts.Results: It has been shown that joint pain and kidney disease were significantly more prevalent in Khatchewers than Khat non-chewers. Uric acid levels were markedly higher in Khat chewers than Khat nonchewers,while differences in RF levels between the two groups were not significant. Although RBCs indicesshowed no significant difference among the study groups, a statistical significance in the white blood cells(WBCs), lymphocytes, and platelets counts was observed.Conclusion: The present study strongly suggeststhat Khat chewing had an adverse effect on the developmentof arthritis and kidney diseases. Moreover, altered immune defence mechanisms due to Khat chewing havealso been documented in this study.