cocaine and cardiovascular disease

Last reviewed 01/2018

  • cocaine powerfully constricts blood vessels. This leads to a massive rise in blood pressure soon after the drug is taken, with a risk of stroke. Constriction of the coronary vessels can cause chest pain and heart attack.
    • one study has shown that the risk of a heart attack is 23-fold increased in the hour following cocaine use (2)
    • in long term users, these surges in blood pressure lead to a build up of atheroma, so that a regular cocaine user as young as 25-30 years without any other risk factor can develop triple vessel coronary artery disease as a result of cocaine use. Reports from the United States suggest that as many as one in four myocardial infarctions in people aged 18-45 are linked to cocaine use (3)
    • dissection of the aorta has also been reported in cocaine users
  • cocaine use can lead to arrhythmias - risk of arrythmias increases greatly during binges, but reduces again during periods of low use/abstinence (4)
  • cocaethylene, formed by combination of cocaine and alcohol increases the risk of cardiac problems
  • bacterial or viral endocarditis can result from injecting
  • DVT, more common than in heroin injectors

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cocaine