yemenjmedYemen Journal of MedicinecoVolume 1 Issue 2MultidisciplinaryEnglishJuly - December 2022NNY20250328ArticleKhat (Catha edulis) as a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders: Controversies and factsEnglishY5961GamalAleemallahEnglishN10.32677/yjm.v1i2.3675The leaves of khat (Catha edulis) are chewed as a social habit for the central stimulant action of their cathinone content. There is growing concern about the health hazards of chronic khat chewing. Many authors have addressed the adverse effects of khat chewing on the cardiovascular and other systems. Based on a limited number of case reports and few prospective controlled studies, associations between khat chewing and the occurrence of myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, and vascular diseases such as hypertension and cerebrovascular ischemia have been proposed. This review outlines the current knowledge on the adverse health effects of khat chewing on the cardiovascular system, assesses the strength and the limitations of the studies, and identifies the questions that the future studies should address.EnglishCardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular disorders, Coronary artery disease, Hypertension, Khathttps://yemenjmed.com/admin/abstract?id=24References16191. Al-Motarreb A, Baker K, Broadley KJ. Khat: Pharmacological and medical aspects and its social use in Yemen. Phytother Res 2002;16:403-13.2. Alshakka M, Badulla WF, Al-Abd N, et al. Knowledge and attitudes on Khat use among Yemeni health sciences students. Subst Use Misuse 2020;55:557-63.3. El-Menyar A, Mekkodathil A, Al-Thani H, et al. Khat use: History and heart failure. Oman Med J 2015;30:77-82.4. Wabe NT. Chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of khat (Catha edulis forsk): A review. Addict Health 2011;3:137-49.5. Kalix P, Braenden O. Pharmacological aspects of the chewing of Khat leaves. 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