Premature Heart Disease in the Youth Linked to Substance Use

Study finds that drinking, smoking and drug use is linked to premature heart disease in young individuals.

Research finds that drinking, smoking, and drug use for recreational purposes are linked to premature heart disease in young people, especially in younger women.

The research team investigated the link between recreational use of tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, and illicit drugs (like amphetamine and cocaine) and premature and extremely premature furred up arteries.

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‘Individuals using four or more substances regularly are nine times more likely to be affected.’
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Information was obtained from the 2014-2015 nationwide Veterans Affairs Healthcare database and the Veterans with premaTure AtheroscLerosis (VITAL) registry.

The authors defined extremely premature heart disease (EPHD) as an event, like a heart attack, stroke, or angina, before the age of 40. Premature heart disease (PHD) was defined as an event before the age of 55 in men and 65 in women.

There were 1,35,703 people with PHD and 7,716 with EPHD who were compared with 1,11,245 patients without PHD.

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The findings showed that individuals using four or more substances regularly are nine times more likely to be affected. Recreational use of any substance was independently associated with a high likelihood of premature and extremely premature heart disease.

Patients with premature heart disease were more likely to smoke (63%), drink (32%), and use cocaine (13%), amphetamines (3%), and cannabis (12.5%).

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After influential factors, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, were accounted for, the risk of having PHD increased by

- 2 times for tobacco smokers

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- 50% for recreational drinkers

- 2.5 times for cocaine and cannabis users

- 3 times for amphetamine users and

- Around 2.5 times for other drugs

The higher the number of substances used recreationally, the greater was the risk of PHD - ranging from a doubled risk for those using one substance to nine times increased risk for those using four or more.

Since this is an observational study, causality can't be established. The researchers state that another limitation was the inability to gather information on other influential factors like the dose and duration of recreational substance use.

Dr. Anthony Wayne Orr points out that faster cell aging and neurocognitive decline, with higher than average loss of grey matter, has also been associated with the use of cocaine and methamphetamine.

He adds that according to studies, one in five young adults misuse several substances and that since these 'polysubstance users' often start using at younger ages, they have worse health over time.

He recommends conducting a nationwide education campaign on the potential long-term damage in patients with substance use disorders and that doctors should screen patients with a history of substance misuse.

Source-Medindia