The use of illegal drugs in the UK, perhaps, isn’t thought of as severely as it should. There’s a growing number of people developing coke habits, seeing it as completely normal and, as Noel Gallagher once put it, “the same as having a cup of tea”. Which is dangerous, particularly given the impact it can have on heart health.
Many people taking recreational drugs don’t realise the strain that can be put on the heart, and for those who do, it can often lead to a spiralling problem that can further lead to issues like ketamine addiction, pretty quickly. Understanding the role drugs can have on our heart is key to making the right call for our health, so here are five ways illegal drugs can cause problems for our heart…
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
The heart rate and blood pressure levels rise when people take stimulant drugs which include cocaine and methamphetamine and ecstasy. These medications activate stress hormone production which leads to adrenaline release that makes the heart pump at increased intensity. The heart muscle and blood vessels experience increased stress because of high blood pressure and fast heart rate which leads to higher chances of developing arrhythmias and sudden cardiac events. The use of these substances even in small amounts creates dangerous blood pressure increases which become dangerous for people who already have heart disease.
Damage to the heart muscle
Prolonged or heavy use of certain drugs can lead to structural damage to the heart. The heart muscle becomes weakened through time because cocaine causes blood vessel constriction which decreases oxygen delivery to the body. Methamphetamine consumption leads to heart wall thickening and decreased heart pumping ability according to research. The heart becomes less capable of blood circulation because of these changes which result in fatigue and shortness of breath and make the heart more susceptible to failure.
Risk of heart attack
The use of illegal drugs creates conditions which increase the chances of heart attacks happening. Stimulants which include cocaine and amphetamines trigger coronary artery spasms that block blood flow to the heart. This reduces oxygen flow and can cause a heart attack, even in otherwise healthy young adults. The use of heroin and other opioids leads to cardiac events through two indirect mechanisms which include respiratory depression that reduces blood oxygen levels and heart stress. The dangerous nature of drug-induced heart attacks emerges from their unexpected and unforecastable occurrence.
Arrhythmias and irregular heart rhythms
The heart’s electrical signals which control heartbeat patterns become disrupted when people take cocaine and ecstasy and synthetic cannabinoids. This may result in arrhythmias, which are irregular or abnormal heart rhythms. The heart experiences arrhythmias which start as harmless palpitations before they develop into dangerous ventricular fibrillation that causes the heart to stop functioning properly. The start of drug-induced arrhythmias becomes impossible to predict because these conditions can begin several hours after drug consumption and their severity worsens when patients experience dehydration or lack sleep or consume multiple substances.
Increased risk of stroke and vascular complications
Illegal drugs can affect the blood vessels as well as the heart, increasing the risk of stroke and other vascular complications. Stimulants cause blood vessels to constrict, raising the likelihood of clot formation or rupture. Cocaine and amphetamines are particularly associated with both ischaemic strokes, caused by blocked blood flow, and haemorrhagic strokes, caused by bleeding in the brain. Over time, repeated use can contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and other long-term vascular damage, compounding the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Written by media@blogmanagement.io
