Biomaterial Database

Betel-nut chewing may aggravate asthma. 1991

K S Kiyingi

Faculty of Medicine, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.

A questionnaire survey on the relationship between chewing betel nut and asthma was carried out in 61 asthmatic patients who regularly attend a follow-up clinic at Port Moresby General Hospital. 54 of these had once chewed or were still chewing betel nut; 20 patients had already given it up, while 34 were still regular or occasional chewers. 7 patients had never chewed. 11 of the 20 patients who used to chew but had given up reported having stopped because of aggravation of their asthma. 22 of the 34 patients who still chewed also reported aggravation of their asthma by betel nut. Anecdotal reports were given directly linking specified methods of chewing the nut with asthma aggravation, in some cases indicating dose-response (toxicity) relationships. While more elaborate and objective studies are being undertaken, it is hereby suggested that patients with asthma be cautioned against chewing betel nut.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008409	Mastication	The act and process of chewing and grinding food in the mouth.	Chewing
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010044	Outpatient Clinics, Hospital	Organized services in a hospital which provide medical care on an outpatient basis.	Ambulatory Care Facilities, Hospital,Hospital Outpatient Clinics,Clinic, Hospital Outpatient,Clinics, Hospital Outpatient,Hospital Outpatient Clinic,Outpatient Clinic, Hospital
D010219	Papua New Guinea	A country consisting of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and adjacent islands, including New Britain, New Ireland, the Admiralty Islands, and New Hanover in the Bismarck Archipelago; Bougainville and Buka in the northern Solomon Islands; the D'Entrecasteaux and Trobriand Islands; Woodlark (Murua) Island; and the Louisiade Archipelago. It became independent on September 16, 1975. Formerly, the southern part was the Australian Territory of Papua, and the northern part was the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea, administered by Australia. They were administratively merged in 1949 and named Papua and New Guinea, and renamed Papua New Guinea in 1971.	New Guinea, East,New Guinea, Papua
D010946	Plants, Medicinal	Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent parts possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, curative or other pharmacologic attributes, when administered to man or animals.	Herbs, Medicinal,Medicinal Herbs,Healing Plants,Medicinal Plants,Pharmaceutical Plants,Healing Plant,Herb, Medicinal,Medicinal Herb,Medicinal Plant,Pharmaceutical Plant,Plant, Healing,Plant, Medicinal,Plant, Pharmaceutical,Plants, Healing,Plants, Pharmaceutical
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man