NYT: Cocaine Users Face Greater Risk of Aneurysm

Cocaine Users Face Greater Risk of Aneurysm
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: May 10, 2005


Cocaine users face a newly discovered and possibly fatal risk: coronary aneurysms, a ballooning of the walls of coronary arteries. The condition increases the chance of suffering a heart attack, even years after users stop the drug, researchers in Minnesota are reporting.

The risk of developing an aneurysm was four times as high among cocaine users in their mid-40's as among nonusers in the same age group, according to the study, reported yesterday in the journal Circulation, which is published by the American Heart Association.

Aneurysms occurred in 30.4 percent of cocaine users in the study compared with 7.6 percent of non-users.

Precisely how much cocaine is needed to produce the aneurysms is not known, but the frequency of use was clearly linked to development of aneurysms, said Dr. Timothy D. Henry, a co-author of the study.

"The risk was definitely more common in people who used cocaine at least once a week," said Dr. Henry, who directs research at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/10/health/10coca.html

Aneurysms occurred in 30.4 percent of cocaine users in the study compared with 7.6 percent of non-users.

Thats pretty serious.

'coz pot is a hippie drug and coke a preppie drug.
This also explains a lot about Bush.

lol

poor thing...

She's in obvious danger!

You can immediately discount any research funded by the USG as there is a terrific search for any possible "harm" from the use of illegal drugs. I still think the CIA needs to get out of the drug trade though.

How about researching the chemicals in the environment and instead of drug testing how about testing "the children" for heavy metals like mercury?

Just look at the way the drug warriors heaped on harm with their onerous laws when Len Bias died the day after using cocaine with the coroner not attributing his death to cocaine. Freud used cocaine his whole life and heroin does not intrinsically kill. Problems come from a black market where quality is not assured and financial burdens cause unsafe use and a criminal justice solution that prevents people from coming forward for health treatment of their addiction.

At least the article did not use the "may cause" strategy of the drug warriors.

And I hope people won't heed it.

As a toxicologist, I agree with the information about the cardiac danger of cocaine. I used to be skeptical, but the scientific information now available is irrefutable, Freud's experience notwithstanding.

I agree that the government is ignoring a lot of tox information for a number of chemicals, but in the case of mercury, it is about its effects on the cardiovascular systems of adults, not children. Mercury is just as bad for adults as it is for kids, although it has different effects.

b_b

That you cannot just accept "research" as fact or that prohibition has problems including zealotry. As far as mercury I put up a thread concerning a good article on mercury last week- http://tinyurl.com/ds8la

He thought it was great until he saw a friend get addicted.

I'm for legalization of all drugs and even disarming all local police. But I don't like cocaine, and I don't like what it does to people. After legalization I would continue to help people stop using coke, heroin, and speed.

But I feel the same way about high fructose corn syrup, which for some reason is legal in human food.

... jibbering nonsense
... sprouting square bumps beneath their jackets (during debates)
... starting unnecessary international conflicts
... pulling equine genitals and rubbing bald heads

America's children should notice and learn the lesson ...

of gibbering nonsense"

Doesn't everyone who has been to a party since about 1971 know this for a fact?

n/t

and that was 10 years ago.

my uncle had a brain anuerysm that burst- luckily it was while he was on the operating table for it...lucky- except that it left him brain-damaged, and generally in a childlike state, mentally for the rest of the next 30 years of his life...

and quit like 20 years ago?

just kidding.

and it doesnt take a jet fuel scientist to figure that out once you have seen what is happening to older victims of GHWB's 80's drug policy. My uncle is dying, right now.

We've known for a while that it causes strokes, and "mini-strokes". It obviously affects blood vessels.