Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Concurrent use of herbs may mimic, magnify, or oppose the effect of drugs. Plausible cases of herb-drug interactions include: bleeding when warfarin is combined with ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), garlic (Allium sativum), dong quai (Angelica sinensis), or danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza); mild serotonin syndrome in patients who mix St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors; decreased bioavailability of digoxin, theophylline, cyclosporin, and phenprocoumon when these drugs are combined with St John's wort; induction of mania in depressed patients who mix antidepressants and Panax ginseng; exacerbation of extrapyramidal effects with neuroleptic drugs and betel nut (Areca catechu); increased risk of hypertension when tricyclic antidepressants are combined with yohimbine (Pausinystalia yohimbe); potentiation of oral and topical corticosteroids by liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra); decreased blood concentrations of prednisolone when taken with the Chinese herbal product xaio chai hu tang (sho-salko-to); and decreased concentrations of phenytoin when combined with the Ayurvedic syrup shankhapushpi. Anthranoid-containing plants (including senna [Cassia senna] and cascara [Rhamnus purshiana]) and soluble fibres (including guar gum and psyllium) can decrease the absorption of drugs. Many reports of herb-drug interactions are sketchy and lack laboratory analysis of suspect preparations. Health-care practitioners should caution patients against mixing herbs and pharmaceutical drugs.
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PMID:Herb-drug interactions. 1076 66

Areca nut use is widespread in the Oriental countries, affecting approximately 20% of the world's population. The combined use of areca nut and smokeless tobacco (ST) is practiced particularly in the Indo-Chinese continents. While there is considerable global variation in the use of these products, migrant studies relevant to areca nut use is of considerable interest to epidemiologists in suggesting the extent to which these environment exposures are important in the aetiology of different cancers and other health-related consequences. Studies on Indian migrants to the Malay peninsula, South and east Africa and various Asian ethnic groups resident in several parts of the United Kingdom have shown that the consumption of areca nut (often mixed with ST) is highly prevalent in these communities. Available data on the prevalence of areca chewing among these migrant populations are reviewed here. The carriage of these risk factors from South Asia to other countries has resulted in excess risk of oral cancer in these new settlements. There is also a high incidence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and late onset diabetes among Indians living in the United Kingdom and there is new evidence to suggest that the combined roles of areca and ST may be contributory. Because of their enhanced financial situation, substance abuse may increase in their new country of domicile. The two products are psychologically addictive and a dependency syndrome related to their use among Asian immigrants to the United Kingdom has been described recently.
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PMID:Areca nut use following migration and its consequences. 1190 Jun 32

Chewing of betel nut, the seed of Areca catechu, is associated with a host of physical and psychological effects while it is also traditionally used in constipation and hypertension. In this study, we report the cardio-selective cholinomimetic activity of the betel nut crude extract (Ac.Cr). Ac.Cr, that tested positive for saponins, tannins, phenols, alkaloids and terpenes, exhibited dose-dependent atropine-sensitive inhibition of isolated guinea-pig atrial contractility with an EC50 value of 0.93 microg/ml (0.57-1.51, 95% CI). In rabbit jejunum, Ac.Cr showed atropine-sensitive spasmogenicity with an EC50 of 7.31 microg/ml (5.41-9.88, 95% CI) showing that it is around 8 times more potent in the cardiac than the intestinal preparation. Both carbachol and physostigmine exhibited acetylcholine-like stimulant activity in jejunum with the latter being more potent in jejunum than in atrial tissues. Activity-directed fractionation of Ac.Cr yielded fractions with similar cholinergic activity in atria and jejunum except the aqueous fraction being 6 times more potent in the atria. Arecoline, the known betel nut compound with cholinergic activity showed similar potency in both tissues while catechin and tannic acid exhibited intestinal spasmolytic effect but were inactive in atria. The results show the cardio-selective inhibitory effect of Ac.Cr which might possibly be due to selective gut-spasmolytic behaviour of catechin and tannic acid thus reducing the cholinomimetic activity of Ac.Cr in the gut though the preferential binding of the constituents of betel nut extract at muscarinic receptor subtypes in heart cannot be ignored.
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PMID:Cardio-selective inhibitory effect of the betel nut extract: possible explanation. 1729 17

Areca tannin has been suggested as having a blood pressure regulatory effect through its ability to inhibit the pressor response to both angiotensin I and II. As genetic and environmental factors determine the susceptibility and development of diseases and no report has been published concerning the genetic interaction of metabolic effects in areca nut/betel quid (BQ) chewers, it is proposed that the cardiovascular effects of chronic BQ usage can be affected by the polymorphism of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene. This is a cross-sectional community-based study. A total of 189 BQ chewing subjects and 256 non-chewing controls were studied. BQ chewing status was determined by using a structured questionnaire, and insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms were determined by a polymerase chain reaction. BQ chewers with the DD genotype had significantly lower blood pressure, pulse pressure, and prevalence of hypertension compared with those of chewers with II or ID genotypes. Multiple stepwise regression analysis confirmed that the ACE I/D genotype was independently associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP). BQ chewers with the DD genotype accounted for a significant age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio adjusted decrease in SBP (-5.9 mm Hg, P=0.021). This finding suggests that BQ chewing may be related to blood pressure regulation, which supports the hypothesis that concomitant genetic susceptibility and environmental factors determine the level of blood pressure.
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PMID:The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism for blood pressure regulation in areca nut chewers. 1758 64