Cocaine users at higher risk of heart disease

A new study has revealed that cocaine users complaining of chest pain may have abnormal blood flow in the heart's smallest blood vessels that may not be detected in regular testing, putting them at risk for heart complications or death.

Varun Kumar, M.D., lead study author and an internist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, said that cocaine use is unfortunately very common, and we see many emergency room admissions because patients experience chest pain following cocaine use.

The researcher said that there can be a discrepancy because the patient has symptoms, but their angiograms appear normal. The microvascular dysfunction in the heart's circulation that's occurring after cocaine use is not being picked up routinely by the angiogram.

The study showed that among cocaine users, during angiogram, the dye failed to clear instantly from the smallest vessels and also over-dilated blood vessels resulting in faster blood flow. The findings suggest that even when there's no sign of coronary artery disease among cocaine users, they have blood vessel damage that may produce symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath.