Heart disease does not spare young people. Those who regularly consume alcohol, tobacco and drugs are nine times more likely to develop one, reveals a study. x
- Regular consumption of alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs multiplies by 2.5 the risk of developing atherosclerosis very early, that is to say before the age of 40.
- The risk is even multiplied by 9 for people consuming 4 or more of these substances.
Contrary to popular belief, young people under 45 are not spared from heart disease, and heart disease does not occur exclusively in those with risk factors.
This is highlighted by a new study published in the journal Heart, which points to the rise in heart disease in young people. The cause: increased and regular consumption of recreational drugs, tobacco and alcohol, which contributes to an increase in cases of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in people under 45 years of age. According to the authors of this new work, those who regularly use four or more substances are nine times more likely to be affected.
A risk up to 9 times higher for “polydrug addicts”
To better understand the link between premature atherosclerosis and recreational use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines and cocaine, researchers reviewed national databases of 135,703 people with the disease. premature heart disease (before age 55 in men and before age 65 in women), including 7,716 with extremely premature heart disease (before age 40). These data were compared with those for 1,112,45 patients who had not developed premature heart disease.
The results showed that patients with premature heart disease were more likely to smoke (63% versus 41%), drink (32% versus 15%) and use cocaine (13% versus 2.5%), amphetamines (3% versus 0.5%) and cannabis (12.5% versus 3%).
After taking into account other factors such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, the researchers concluded that tobacco smokers are almost twice as likely to suffer from premature heart disease, cocaine users, cannabis and other drugs 2.5 times more risk. Amphetamine users have a 3 times higher risk.
Another observation: the higher the number of substances consumed for recreational purposes, the greater the risk of premature heart disease. It thus goes from a risk doubled with the consumption of a substance to a risk nine times higher for those who consume four or more.
The results also show that the associations were even stronger in women with premature and extremely premature heart disease than in similarly affected men.
Prevention and detection, a necessity
If this is an observational study that cannot establish a causal link, it does however highlight the need “of a national education campaign on the potential long-term damage to the cardiovascular system of patients with substance use disorders”writes Dr. Anthony Wayne Orr in a related editorial.
“These people need to be aware of the long-term health consequences beyond the risk of overdose, while doctors should screen patients with a history of substance abuse. We are only young once, and we should do everything in our power to maintain this state for as long as possible”he concludes.
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