INTRODUCTION Areca nut chewing has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but its association with erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been investigated. AIM To investigate the association between areca nut chewing and risk of ED. METHODS Consecutive men at public health centers for oral malignancy screening or health checkup were invited to complete a questionnaire. MAI...

BACKGROUND Studies have associated betel nut chewing with cancers, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disorders, chronic kidney disease, and proteinuria. This study investigated whether hyperuricemia is associated with betel nut chewing in men who participated in a health check-up program. METHODS From hospital records, we identified a total of 11,991 men who participated in the health check-...

BACKGROUND Areca nut (commonly known as betel nut) chewing has been shown to be associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The mechanism by which betel nut ingestion could lead to development of CVD is not precisely known; however, dyslipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia and inflammation could be some of the potential risk factors. This study was under...

betle flower may exert sympathomimetic effects (4), which might elevate blood pressure leading to increased UAER. However, because the effect was independent of blood pressure, other mechanisms should have been in play. Reactive oxygen species and N-nitroso compounds can be formed in the oral cavity during betel nut chewing, and in vitro studies also demonstrated that betel nut components incre...

The chewing of betel nut is prevalent throughout the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the Pacific subregion. Consumed for its stimulant properties, there is concern over this habit’s association with negative health consequences. The present study examines the case of Honiara in Solomon Islands where the prevalence of betel nut consumption has increased in recent years, especially among schoo...

BACKGROUND The Mariana Islands, including Guam and Saipan, are home to many ethnic subpopulations of Micronesia. Oral cancer incidence rates vary among subpopulations, and areca (betel) nut chewing, a habit with carcinogenic risks, is common. Our objectives were to conduct a screening program to detect oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) in betel nut chewers, measure their betel nut che...

A variety of betel/areca nut/tobacco habits have been reviewed and categorized because of their possible causal association with oral cancer and various oral precancerous lesions and conditions, and on account of their widespread occurrence in different parts of the world. At a recent workshop in Kuala Lumpur it was recommended that "quid" be defined as "a substance, or mixture of substances, p...

Background. This study investigated the association between betel nut chewing and subclinical ischemic heart disease (IHD) in Taiwanese type 2 diabetic patients. Methods. A total of 394 male patients aging ≥45 years and without previous heart disease were studied. Among them 349 had no habit of chewing betel nut and 45 possessed the habit for ≥5 years. Subclinical IHD was diagnosed by a Minneso...

Betel quid chewing is an ancient practice common in many countries of Asia and among migrated communities in Africa, Europe and North America. It enjoys complete social acceptance in many societies and is also popular among women. In its most basic form, betel quid consists of betel leaf (Piper betel), areca nut, the main psychoactive ingredient, and slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). Areca nut i...

The betel nut (Areca catecu) is regarded by the World Health Organization as the fourth most prevalent human carcinogen. Our study aims to investigate whether habitual chewers show bias in their attention toward betel nut usage. In the current study, heavy and light betel nut chewers were instructed to respond to a probe presented immediately after either one of a pair of areca-related picture ...