Research Reports in Clinical Cardiology (Oct 2023)

The Severity and Complexity of Coronary Artery Disease in Khat User Somali Patients: A Study in a PCI-Capable Tertiary Center in Somalia

  • Köprülü D,
  • Ahmed SA,
  • Hassan MS,
  • Waberi MM,
  • Abdi IA,
  • Abdi AE,
  • Ali AA,
  • Omar Hassan M

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 85 – 90

Abstract

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Diyar Köprülü,1 Said Abdirahman Ahmed,1 Mohamed Sheikh Hassan,2 Mohamud Mire Waberi,1 Ishak Ahmed Abdi,1 Ahmed Elmi Abdi,1 Abdijalil Abdullahi Ali,3 Mohamed Omar Hassan1 1Department of Cardiology, Mogadishu Somali Turkish Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 2Department of Neurology, Mogadishu Somali Turkish Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 3Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mogadishu Somali Turkish Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, SomaliaCorrespondence: Mohamed Omar Hassan, Email [email protected]: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death and disability adjusted life years worldwide, primarily in low- and middle-income nations. The study aims to determine if khat use is linked to a more complicated form of CAD and a larger lesion burden. The SYNergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXus and cardiac surgery (SYNTAX) score is used to assess CAD severity and degree.Methodology: This observational, hospital-based descriptive study enrolled patients referred for coronary angiograms from August 2022 to May 2023. Data was collected from Khat and Non-Khat users, and analyzed using the SYNTAX score. The study compared demographics, clinical presentations, coronary angiographic findings and lesion complexity between Khat and Non-Khat users.Results: This study enrolled 177 participants, with a khat chewer group being (45.2%) compared to non-khat chewers (54.8%). The age distribution was similar, with 79.7% male and 20.3% female. Smoking was more common in the khat group (38.4%). Risk factors included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. There was no significant difference in lesion complexity between khat users and non-khat users.Khat chewing patients had a higher incidence of acute coronary syndrome (54% vs 24%) and higher incidence of spontaneous coronary dissection.Conclusion: The research suggests that khat use could be harmful to the cardiovascular system, including the coronary arteries. More research is required to completely understand the underlying mechanisms of action and evaluate the impact of khat on coronary arteries.Keywords: khat chewing, coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention, Somalia

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