UAE
A new study has revealed that medwakh smokers are at greater risk of suffering from the risk factors of cardiovascular disease compared to those who smoke only cigarettes.
The study by Yazan Al Ajlouni, a New York University Abu Dhabi graduate, found that the medwakh traditional pipe, which uses a form of loose tobacco known as dokha, statistically increased the likelihood of cardiovascular disease risk factors by about four times.
“Medwakh use is very widespread among youth in the region, yet it is even more dangerous than cigarettes,” said Al Ajlouni. “In fact, we found that medwakh smoking increased cardiovascular risk for medwakh-only smokers, as well as among those who smoked it in combination with other forms of tobacco.”
He also added, “Those who smoked only medwakh were found to be 5.25 times more likely to be at risk of cardiovascular diseases, as measured by the level of risk factors like low-density lipoprotein and lower Apolipoprotein A.”