Tyler R McClintock1, Faruque Parvez1, Fen Wu1, Weijia Wang1, Tariqul Islam1, Alauddin Ahmed1, Ishrat Shaheen1, Golam Sarwar1, Ryan T Demmer1, Moise Desvarieux2, Habibul Ahsan1, Yu Chen3. 1. Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, U-Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, INSERM, UMR-S 707, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Paris and Rennes, France and Departments of Health Studies, Medicine and Human Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. 2. Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, U-Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, INSERM, UMR-S 707, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Paris and Rennes, France and Departments of Health Studies, Medicine and Human Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USADepartments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, U-Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, INSERM, UMR-S 707, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Paris and Rennes, France and Departments of Health Studies, Medicine and Human Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USADepartments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, U-Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, INSERM, UMR-S 707, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Paris and Rennes, France and Departments of Health Studies, Medicine and Human Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Unive 3. Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, U-Chicago Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, INSERM, UMR-S 707, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Paris and Rennes, France and Departments of Health Studies, Medicine and Human Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA yu.chen@nyumc.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Areca nut, more commonly known as betel nut, is the fourth most commonly used addictive substance in the world. Though recent evidence suggests it may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease, no studies have investigated whether betel nut use is related to subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS: We evaluated the association between betel nut use and subclinical atherosclerosis in 1206 participants randomly sampled from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS). Frequency and duration of betel nut use were assessed at baseline, and carotid IMT was measured on average 6.65 years after baseline. RESULTS: A positive association was observed between duration and cumulative exposure (function of duration and frequency) of betel nut use and IMT, with above-median use for duration (7 or more years) and cumulative exposure (30 or more quid-years) corresponding to a 19.1 μm [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.3-32.8; P ≤ 0.01] and 16.8 μm (95% CI: 2.9-30.8; P < 0.05) higher IMT in an adjusted model, respectively. This association was more pronounced in men [32.8 μm (95% CI: 10.0-55.7) and 30.9 μm (95% CI: 7.4-54.2)]. There was a synergy between cigarette smoking and above-median betel use such that the joint exposure was associated with a 42.4 μm (95% CI: 21.6-63.2; P ≤ 0.01) difference in IMT. CONCLUSION: Betel nut use at long duration or high cumulative exposure levels is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis as manifested through carotid IMT. This effect is especially pronounced among men and cigarette smokers.
BACKGROUND:Areca nut, more commonly known as betel nut, is the fourth most commonly used addictive substance in the world. Though recent evidence suggests it may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease, no studies have investigated whether betel nut use is related to subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS: We evaluated the association between betel nut use and subclinical atherosclerosis in 1206 participants randomly sampled from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS). Frequency and duration of betel nut use were assessed at baseline, and carotid IMT was measured on average 6.65 years after baseline. RESULTS: A positive association was observed between duration and cumulative exposure (function of duration and frequency) of betel nut use and IMT, with above-median use for duration (7 or more years) and cumulative exposure (30 or more quid-years) corresponding to a 19.1 μm [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.3-32.8; P ≤ 0.01] and 16.8 μm (95% CI: 2.9-30.8; P < 0.05) higher IMT in an adjusted model, respectively. This association was more pronounced in men [32.8 μm (95% CI: 10.0-55.7) and 30.9 μm (95% CI: 7.4-54.2)]. There was a synergy between cigarette smoking and above-median betel use such that the joint exposure was associated with a 42.4 μm (95% CI: 21.6-63.2; P ≤ 0.01) difference in IMT. CONCLUSION: Betel nut use at long duration or high cumulative exposure levels is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis as manifested through carotid IMT. This effect is especially pronounced among men and cigarette smokers.
Authors: Fawad Javed; Fernanda O Bello Correra; Milisha Chotai; Anwar R Tappuni; Khalid Almas Journal: Scand J Public Health Date: 2010-08-05 Impact factor: 3.021
Authors: P-J Touboul; M G Hennerici; S Meairs; H Adams; P Amarenco; N Bornstein; L Csiba; M Desvarieux; S Ebrahim; R Hernandez Hernandez; M Jaff; S Kownator; T Naqvi; P Prati; T Rundek; M Sitzer; U Schminke; J-C Tardif; A Taylor; E Vicaut; K S Woo Journal: Cerebrovasc Dis Date: 2012-11-01 Impact factor: 2.762