Chronic respiratory effect of narguileh smoking compared with cigarette smoking in women from the East Mediterranean region

Yousser Mohammad, Mouna Kakah, Yasser Mohammad

Department of Internal Medicine, Tishreen University School of Medicine, Lattakia, Syria

Abstract: Narguileh is a water pipe. Narguileh smoking is a traditional pattern of smoking among Eastern Mediterranean women, publicly considered as a harmless entertainment. We performed a survey aimed at tracking chronic respiratory symptoms and alteration in respiratory functions in 77 female narguileh smokers, 77 cigarette smokers, and controls. A questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, quantity, and duration of smoking was completed by each woman, and a flow-volume loop was performed with all women. Women were then categorized in subgroups according to a cumulative smoking duration of over 5 years, and cumulative quantity of 50 kilograms smoked. We obtained 8 subgroups for quantity and 10 for duration. Results showed a higher proportion of chronic bronchitis in narguileh smokers compared with cigarette smokers for both quantity and duration (p value < 0.001), as well as quasi-permanent alteration in maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF 25%–75%) in narguileh smokers compared with cigarette smokers (p value < 0.001). Forced expired volume in one second was more altered in cigarette smokers than in narguileh smokers (p value > 0.001). These results will help to raise health authority awareness that narguileh smoking is also dangerous for women.

Keywords: sheesha, narguileh, narguile, COPD, MMEF, smoking in women