Drug addicts face 300% more risk of sudden death: study
KS Diwan-royalpatiala.in-Patiala
People addicted to consumption of illegal drugs are on high risk of sudden cardiac death, revealed a meta- analysis by Dr Rajneesh Kapoor an interventional cardiologist from Patiala.
Dr Kapoor’s report, which is presented to be published in the 2018 Innovations in Cardiology Summit newsletter, comes as caution and awareness information especially to the state of Punjab where tireless efforts are being made to have its population get rid of drug addiction.
Sharing his findings of report , Dr Kapoor who works as Sr. Director-Interventional Cardiology at Medanta Hospital said that illegal drugs act as powerful stimulant that substantially increases the baseline level of activity in the central nervous system. Since the central nervous system controls the basic function of the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), these drug consumption’s will invariably lead to significant changes in the cardiac health.
His meta- analysis captured results of multiple international studies and found a whopping 300 percent more risk of dying from sudden cardiovascular death. Consumption of drugs was found to cause 30 to 35 percent increase in aortic stiffening, 8mm HG more systolic blood pressure & 18 percent greater thickening of the hearts left ventricle wall. Cardiovascular disease was noticed in 72% of a 437 drug addicted people.
Dr Kapoor said that short-term changes associated with intake of the drug include increases in the heart rate, increases in the blood pressure during your heart’s active phase, increases in the blood pressure during your heart’s resting phase, increases in the amount of oxygen needed to keep the cardiovascular system running properly, decreases in the amount of oxygen supplied to the cardiovascular system, an irregular heartbeat, reduced contraction strength in the heart muscle and atherosclerosis.”
Longer-term use of drugs brings additional cardiovascular alterations that can include an enlarged heart and slowed release of blood from the heart’s two pumping chambers, asserted Dr Kapoor.
