Effect of catha edulis [khat] on the level of serum uric acid in healthy Yemeni male adults

Effect of catha edulis [khat] on the level of serum uric acid was studied in eighteen healthy Yemeni male adults. Their serum uric acid concentration was determined immediately after lunch and two hours after they have started to chew khat. The level of serum uric acid was consistently lower after chewing khat in all cases and the differences were statistically significant p-value < 0.05. No significant difference was found in the control groups. Therefore, chewing khat has resulted in lowering of the concentration of serum uric acid. Speculation on how khat could bring about this effect is discussed, and implications on proper diagnosis of relevant ailments have been highlighted

Prevalence of malaria among pregnant and non-pregnant women attended Sana'a and Abyan malaria centers in Yemen in in 1998

A hospital-based descriptive study was conducted in 1998 to determine the prevalence of malaria and occurrence of anaemia among pregnant and non-pregnant female adults attending malaria centers in Sana'a and Abyan. A total of 650 females [400 pregnant and 250 non-pregnant]were investigated for malaria parasite in the blood and hemoglobulin level. 188 [47%] of the pregnant and 60 [24%] of the non-pregnant women were found to be positive for malaria. Plasmodium falciparum was the most prevalent species accounting for 87% of the total malaria infection in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Younger women [pregnant and non-pregnant] were more susceptible for malaria infection then older women. Malaria infection was more prevalent in primigravidas than in multigrabidas and in second trimester than in third trimester. Results emphasize the need to target malaria control for this group of women