ID :
340371
Sun, 09/07/2014 - 20:37
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HMC Invites Public to Participate in Health Study on Shisha Effects

Doha, September 07 (QNA) - The Smoking Cessation Clinic at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is inviting the public to take part in an ongoing clinical study on shisha use among smokers and non-smokers in Qatar, in an effort to examine the adverse effects of tobacco use on the heart, blood vessels and the respiratory system. The three-year study, which began in April 2013, is a joint collaboration between HMC and the American University in Beirut. It is being supported and funded by Qatar National Research Fund under Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development. Consultant Physician and Head of Smoking Cessation Clinic at HMC, Dr. Ahmed Al Mulla, who is the principal investigator, said the study targets tracking the negative influences of shisha smoking, through a specialized medical checkup for two categories of people in intervention and control groups. He explained that the intervention group comprises those who have been smoking shisha every day for the past 10 years or more and have never smoked cigarettes, and are 40 years-old and above. "Members of this group should never have had any lung disease, diabetes or kidney failure", he noted. "Each group contains up to 220 people, with a control group comprising non-smokers under 40 years-old and having the same health conditions as those in the intervention category", said Dr. Al Mulla. According to latest statistics, some thirty seven percent of those aged 15 years and above in Qatar are smokers, with 95% of them being men. In addition, around 15% of school children in grade 7, both males and females, aged 12 years and above, also smoke. Speaking on the general effects of shisha smoking, Dr. Mulla said: "one session of shisha smoking is known to have harmful effects equivalent to or higher than smoking 20 cigarettes (a full pack)". He added that a similar study is currently being conducted in Lebanon for comparison. Other members of the research team in Qatar and Lebanon are; Dr. Ahmed Al Mohamed and Dr. Muna Al Lingawi, HMC Thoracic Consultants; Dr. Reem Al Kuwari, x-ray Consultant in Heart Hospital; and field researchers - Marwa Al Adawi and Dr. Ahmed Hassouna in addition to research team of nurses and technicians at the pulmonary lab. Dr. Al Mulla stressed that the HMC's Smoking Cessation Clinic is making its utmost efforts to assist smokers to quit. (QNA)

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