Cocaine and heart-attacks

[dizong]

Cocaine can cause coronary vasospasm which can reduce blood flow to parts of the heart. This alone may or may not cause a heart attack but the additional effects of increased heart rate and blood pressure leading to increased cardiac demand can further worsen the situation in the setting of cocaine intoxication (i.e., the heart is working too hard for the bloodflow that it is receiving). Long-term cocaine use has been associated with early atherosclerosis and heart failure. Finally, you're probably more prone to arrhythmias in the setting of active heart damage and excessively stimulated state.

I don't know from where the 80-fold increased risk of heart attack figure is derived.

dizong