BETELNUT CHEWING CAUSES BRONCHOCONSTRICTION IN SOME ASTHMA PATIENTS

A previous questionnaire interview had revealed that betelnut chewing may aggravate asthma in 61% of asthma patients attending an outpatient clinic at Port Moresby General Hospital; the rest said it had no effe ct. The aim of the present study was to verify patients' subjective fe elings through objective measurements. 7 asthma patients (Group C) who saide betelnut aggravated their asthma, 8 asthma patients (Group B) w ho denied any effect and 8 nonasthmatic, healthy subjects (Group A) we re given betelnut with accompanying ingredients and asked to chew as t hey would usually chew it. Their spirometric forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) readings, heart rate and blood pressure wer e monitored before and after this challenge. Group A nonasthmatic subj ects experienced only minor rises and falls in their FEV1 in response to betelnut chewing. 3 patients in Group B experienced overall rises ( mean maximal % rise 25 +/- 19) while 5 patients had overall falls (mea n maximal % fall 11 +/- 6). In Group C 1 patient had an overall rise i n her FEV1 (maximal rise 10%) while 6 patients had falls (mean maximal % fall 22 +/- 7). In all groups the heart rate increased in response to betelnut. Betelnut chewing caused bronchoconstriction as demonstrat ed by decreases in FEV1 in a majority of the asthmatic patients studie d; hence betelnut may act as a trigger factor for their asthma. In a f ew others increases in FEV1 were noted, while the rest experienced onl y minor changes.