ReviewThe open cardiovascular medicine journal2017
Khat (
Review in The open cardiovascular medicine journal, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does regular Khat (Catha edulis) chewing in adults increase the risk of hypertension compared to non-use? A systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2025Pooled it
- Trend, burden and determinants of undiagnosed hypertension in the Horn of Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- A systematic review on risk factors for khat chewing among adolescents in the African continent and Arabian Peninsula.PloS one · 2022Pooled it
- Prevalence of hypertension and its determinants in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2020Pooled it
- Regional perspectives: Substance use related problems in Ethiopia.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Review
- Observational
- The regulation and control of khat use and access in Ethiopia: Policy brief.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Review
- Prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use and its association with hospitalization among older adults with chronic disease in the Amhara region, Ethiopia: a multicenter prospective cohort study.Therapeutic advances in drug safety · 2026Article
- Article
- Medicinal plants administered to control hypertension in Ethiopia: ethnomedicine, pharmacology, nutraceutical, phytochemistry, toxicology, and policy perspectives.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Review
- Risk of acute coronary syndrome and relationship with the use of khat and tobacco products in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia: A prospective case-control study.Tobacco induced diseases · 2024Article
- Exploring the perception of key stakeholders toward khat policy approaches in Ethiopia: a qualitative study.Harm reduction journal · 2023Article
- Non Ischemic Cardiomyopathy in a 54-Year-Old Khat Consuming Yemeni Male Presenting with Worsening Exertional Dyspnea, T Wave Inversions in V5-V6 and Normal Coronary Artery Angiography.The American journal of case reports · 2022Article
- Stroke in Djibouti.African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence · 2022Article
- Impact of khat leaves on glycosylated haemoglobin and lipid profile in healthy individuals in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.SAGE open medicine · 2022Article
- An updated review on synthetic cathinones.Archives of toxicology · 2021Review
- Article
- Management and 30-Day Mortality of Acute Coronary Syndrome in a Resource-Limited Setting: Insight From Ethiopia. A Prospective Cohort Study.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2021Article
- The Impact of Khat (Journal of medical ultrasoundArticle
- The prevalence of left ventricular thrombus among patients with low ejection fraction by trans-thoracic echocardiography.Pakistan journal of medical sciencesArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAbout 20 million people worldwide are believed to be using khat. Although some studies reported that khat chewing might result in cardiovascular disorders, conclusive evidence is limited.
methodThe objective of this review was to synthesize the best available evidence for the effect of khat on the cardiovascular system. Databases searched were PubMed, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, CINAHL, poplin, LILACS, MedNar and Scopus. All papers included in the review were subjected to rigorous appraisal using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) standardized critical appraisal tool. Review Manager Software (Revman 5.3) was used for meta-analysis and effect size and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated.
resultData was extracted from 10 articles. Our meta-analysis included 9,207 subjects, (2123 chewers and 7084 non-chewers, respectively) to elucidate the effect of khat on heart rate, diastolic and systolic blood pressure. The mean diastolic and systolic blood pressure of khat chewers was higher than the non-chewers with a mean difference of 5.1 mmHg, 95%CI [2.7,7.5] and 7.9 mmHg, 95%CI [2.65, 13.18], respectively. Similarly, the heart rate of the chewers remained consistently higher, making the mean difference of 6.9 beats/min, 95%CI [0.5, 13.3]. In addition, khat was found to have either a causative or worsening effect on stroke, myocardial infarction and heart failure.
conclusionWe showed that khat chewing could significantly affect the cardiovascular system through its effect on heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, health promotion should be aimed to encourage quitting khat chewing.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.