Clough A R, Jacups S P, Wang Z, Burns C B, Bailie R S, Cairney S J, Collie A, Guyula T, McDonald S P, Currie B J
Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Intern Med J. 2003 Aug;33(8):336-40. doi: 10.1046/j.1444-0903.2003.00405.x.
Heavy kava use in Aboriginal communities has been linked to various health effects, including anecdotes of sudden cardiac deaths.
To examine associations between kava use and potential health effects.
A cross-sectional study was carried out within a kava-using east Arnhem Land Aboriginal community in tropical northern Australia. One-hundred-and-one adults who were current, recent or non-users of kava were enrolled in March 2000. Main outcome measures were physical, anthropometric, biochemical, haematological, immunological and neurocognitive assessments.
Kava users more frequently showed a characteristic dermopathy (P<0.001). They had increased levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase (P<0.001). Lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in kava users (P<0.001). Fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and neurocognitive tests were not different between kava use categories. IgE and IgG antibodies were elevated across the whole group, as were C-reactive protein and homocysteine.
Kava use was associated with dermopathy, liver function abnormalities and decreased lymphocytes. If kava continues to be used by Aboriginal populations, monitoring should focus on the health consequences of these findings, including a possible increase in serious infections. The interaction between kava, alcohol and other substances requires further study. Although markers of cardiovascular risk are increased across the population, these were not higher in kava users, and this increase may be linked to the large infectious pathogen burden reflective of the socioeconomic disadvantage seen in many remote Aboriginal communities.
澳大利亚原住民社区大量饮用卡瓦酒与多种健康影响有关，包括有突发性心脏死亡的传闻。
研究饮用卡瓦酒与潜在健康影响之间的关联。
在澳大利亚北部热带地区一个饮用卡瓦酒的东阿纳姆地原住民社区开展了一项横断面研究。2000年3月，招募了101名当前、近期或从不饮用卡瓦酒的成年人。主要观察指标包括身体、人体测量学、生化、血液学、免疫学和神经认知评估。
饮用卡瓦酒者更常出现一种特征性皮肤病（P<0.001）。他们的γ-谷氨酰转移酶和碱性磷酸酶水平升高（P<0.001）。饮用卡瓦酒者的淋巴细胞计数显著较低（P<0.001）。纤维蛋白原、纤溶酶原激活物抑制剂-1和神经认知测试在不同饮用卡瓦酒类别之间没有差异。整个群体的IgE和IgG抗体升高，C反应蛋白和同型半胱氨酸也升高。
饮用卡瓦酒与皮肤病、肝功能异常和淋巴细胞减少有关。如果原住民继续饮用卡瓦酒，监测应关注这些发现的健康后果，包括严重感染可能增加。卡瓦酒、酒精和其他物质之间的相互作用需要进一步研究。尽管整个人群的心血管风险标志物有所增加，但在饮用卡瓦酒者中并未更高，这种增加可能与许多偏远原住民社区中反映社会经济劣势的大量感染病原体负担有关。
