[Perverse effects of an apparently harmless habit...].
We report the case of a 47-year old woman with a long history of arterial hypertension. Because of a recent difficulty to control blood pressure values accompanied by hypokalaemia, a thorough investigation was performed, showing low renin and aldosterone blood levels and high urinary potassium levels. Repeated questioning revealed that the patient regularly consumed non-negligible quantities of liquorice-flavored chewing-gun. The physiopathogenic mechanisms of action of liquorice are reviewed.
Service de Médecine Interne, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Bruxelles, Belgique.
L
L
Michaux
C
C
Lefebvre
E
E
Coche
D002638:Chewing Gum; D005260:Female; D006035:Glycyrrhiza; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology*; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
D002638:Chewing Gum