Medical Research into Meth's Impact

Meth Use Increases Risk of Heart Disease

Research suggests a link between a disease of the heart muscle called cardiomyopathy and Meth use.  The research, conducted at a medical center in Hawaii, reviewed charts of all patients aged 45 and younger discharged with a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy between January 2001 and June 2004.  There were 107 patients. These were compared with 114 controls matched for age but discharged without evidence of heart trouble.
After adjusting for age, body weight and renal failure, the researchers found that the odds of cardiomyopathy was 3.7-fold higher in Meth users compared with non-users.
SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine, February 2007.  Access the study’s abstract

Strokes in Young People May be Tied to Meth Use

A researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas examined two women, ages 29 and 36, both of whom used Meth and then suddenly experienced weakness and difficulty in speaking. Brain scans revealed both women had suffered severe strokes from tears in the inner lining of one of the major arteries in the neck, an injury known as carotid artery dissection.  On the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, a score over 16 suggests a high chance of death or severe disability. The 29-year-old woman received a score of 17, while the 36-year-old woman received a 21. Besides Meth abuse, the women did not have any other significant risk factors for stroke. Both recovered with mild to moderate disabilities after stroke therapy.
Access Article in Scientific American
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