Cocaine may Increase Stroke Risk by up to 700 Percent: Study

First Posted: Feb 14, 2014 01:42 PM EST
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A recent study found that those who snort cocaine may be at an increased risk of stroke by up to 700 percent following 24 hours after ingestion of the drug.

According to lead study author Dr. Yu-Ching Cheng, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, stroke occurs when blood vessels block the blood supply to the brain. Health officials believe that cocaine may thicken the blood and increase the chances of clotting. He also notes that the drug can lead to disability or even death for those that are addicted to it, and for every young stroke patient, they should be screened for drug abuse when they are first hospitalized before leaving the hospital, with few exceptional cases, according to the study.

"Cocaine use is one of the risk factors we investigated and we were surprised at how strong an association there is between cocaine and stroke risk in young adults," Cheng said, via CBS DC. "We found the stroke risk associated with acute cocaine use is much higher than some other stroke risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking."

Cheng and his team examined information from over 1,000 individuals between the ages of 15 and 49 years old who had strokes between 1991 and 2008 with another 1,154 people from the general population of the same ages.

The study found that nearly one-fourth of the participants said they had taken cocaine in the past. The survey also showed that even though it is commonly known that stroke can be associated with the drug, only one-third of patients undergo toxicology screenings at the time of hospital admission.

"Cocaine is not only addictive, it can also lead to disability or death from stroke," Cheng said. "With few exceptions, we believe every young stroke patient should be screened for drug abuse at the time of hospital admission." 

More information regarding the study was presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014. 

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