"...those who had abused amphetamines had triple the odds of aortic dissection"

Aortic dissection

Aortic dissection is a potentially life-threatening condition in which there is bleeding into and along the wall of the aorta, the major artery carrying blood out of the heart.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000181.htm


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be more likely to suffer an often fatal tear in the body's main artery, the aorta, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

A study of medical records from 31 million people aged 18 to 49 and hospitalized from 1995 to 2007 found that those who had abused amphetamines had triple the odds of aortic dissection, the team at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said.

Amphetamines, often called speed or crank, are widely abused but also legitimately used to treat attention deficit disorder, narcolepsy and other sleep disorders. They can also aid in weight loss.

The drugs make the heart beat harder and can raise blood pressure. Researchers have previously found they could raise the risk of heart attack and some had suspected that abusing the drugs could also cause aortal tears.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_102299.html

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