Abstract
BACKGROUND: Opium consumption is a prevalent health concern in Iran, with conflicting evidence regarding its association with chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN).The present study aimed to investigate the association between opium consumption and the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) among male participants aged 35-70 years in the Tabari Cohort Study (TCS). Study Design: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study examined male participants from the TCS. Blood samples were collected after a 12-hour fasting period. HTN and DM were defined based on blood pressure (BP) measurements, history of diagnosis, and use of antihypertensive or glucose-lowering medications. The obtained data were analyzed using chi-squared and independent t-tests. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: The study examined 4,149 male participants, with a mean fasting blood sugar (FBS) of 110.34±3 3.89 mg/dL, systolic BP of 115.70±13.60 mm Hg, and diastolic BP of 73.87±7.77 mm Hg. No significant difference was found in the frequency of HTN and DM among participants who consumed opium compared to those who did not consume it (P=0.588 and P=0.705, respectively). However, FBS levels were significantly higher among opium users (110.77±34.14 vs. 107.73±21.19, P=0.048). Multivariable regression analysis revealed no significant change in the risk of developing HTN (odds ratio [OR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82, 1.35, P=0.667) and DM (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.57, P=0.116) among opium users. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate no significant difference in the likelihood of developing DM and HTN between opium users and non-users.