Smoking-Related Disease Impact in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Comprehensive Assessment Using Global Burden of Disease Data.

BACKGROUND: Smoking remains a significant risk factor for numerous health issues, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and respiratory infections. This study investigates the burden of tobacco-related diseases in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. METHODS: Utilizing the GBD data, we examined the risk of smoking and second-hand smoke exposure and their related causes of death and disability in the 22 MENA countries. Smoking prevalence and disease burden data were analyzed with estimates reported as age-standardized rates. RESULTS: Tobacco abuse accounted for 14.5% of all deaths and 23.2% of deaths tied to known risk factors, with an age-standardized death rate of 110.8 per 100,000. Cardiovascular diseases were the primary cause of smoking-related deaths and DALYs, representing 53.4% of all deaths and 50.3% of all DALYs. This was followed by neoplasms (24.6% of all deaths and 20.3% of all DALYs), chronic respiratory diseases(12.4% of all deaths and 11.9% of all DALYs), and respiratory infections and tuberculosis(4% of all deaths and 3.4% of all DALYs). Second-hand smoking caused 20.5% of tobacco-related deaths and 21.5% of tobacco-related DALYs, disproportionately affecting younger individuals. An increasing disease burden was observed in Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, and Libya, and declining rates were most evident in Oman and Qatar. CONCLUSION: Our study emphasizes the impact of smoking on cardiovascular disease, the primary cause of smoking-related mortality and morbidity in the MENA region. Our findings highlight the urgent need for effective tobacco control policies and interventions.

The Effect of Pomegranate Juice on the Expression of Some Murine UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases Genes.

BACKGROUND: Food-drug interactions may lead to suppression or induction of drug metabolizing enzymes. Pomegranate is a commonly used fruit in folk medicine all over the world. Data concerning the effect of pomegranate on the activity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) is scarce. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of pomegranate juice ingestion on the transcription of ugt2b1, ugt2a3, and ugt1a9 in the liver and small intestine of male mice. METHODS: Pomegranate juice was administered to 10 male mice for 14 days in drinking bottles instead of water. Ten control mice received water in the drinking bottles. On the 15th day, the mice were sacrificed and the liver and the small intestine were removed. The small intestine was divided into 3 parts. Total mRNA was extracted from samples of these specimens, and cDNA was synthesized by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using specific primers for each ugt gene. RESULTS: The ugt1a9 mRNA level was reduced by 2.25-fold in the liver and by 6-, 1.5-, and 3-folds in the first, second and third part of the small intestine, respectively. The ugt2b1 mRNA level in the liver and the third part of the small intestine was not affected, while it was reduced by 3.7- and 3-folds in the first and second parts of the small intestine, respectively. The ugt2a3 mRNA level was not affected in the liver and the 3 parts of the small intestine. CONCLUSION: Some ugt mRNA levels may be reduced by the ingestion of pomegranate juice, which may reduce the metabolism of their drug substrates. The consequences may be an accumulation of such drugs in the body and enhanced toxicity.