title: Chronic respiratory effect of narguileh smoking compared with cigarette smoking in women from the East Mediterranean region.
abstract: Narguileh is a water pipe. Narguileh smoking is a traditional pattern of smoking among Eastern Mediterranean women, publicly considered as a harmless entertainment. We performed a survey aimed at tracking chronic respiratory symptoms and alteration in respiratory functions in 77 female narguileh smokers, 77 cigarette smokers, and controls. A questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, quantity, and duration of smoking was completed by each woman, and a flow-volume loop was performed with all women. Women were then categorized in subgroups according to a cumulative smoking duration of over 5 years, and cumulative quantity of 50 kilograms smoked. We obtained 8 subgroups for quantity and 10 for duration. Results showed a higher proportion of chronic bronchitis in narguileh smokers compared with cigarette smokers for both quantity and duration (p value < 0.001), as well as quasi-permanent alteration in maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF 25%-75%) in narguileh smokers compared with cigarette smokers (p value < 0.001). Forced expired volume in one second was more altered in cigarette smokers than in narguileh smokers (p value > 0.001). These results will help to raise health authority awareness that narguileh smoking is also dangerous for women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Tishreen University School of Medicine, Lattakia, Syria. mohamyou@scs-net.org
authors.forename: Yousser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mohammad
authors.forename: Mouna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakah
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mohammad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000209:etiology; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013593:Syria; D055815:Young Adult