Cocaine use appears to boost stroke risk in young people
Study adds to evidence of the drug’s harmful effects
By Nathan Seppa
SAN DIEGO — Just as cocaine use hikes heart attack risk in young and middle-aged adults, using the drug also seems to increase stroke susceptibility — and with quick effect. A study of stroke patients finds that the stroke risk is six times greater within 24 hours of using cocaine than at other times, researchers reported February 12 at a meeting of the American Stroke Association.
The long-term risk factors underlying stroke include high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. But these chronic problems typically don’t concern young people, who see stroke as a problem confined to an older demographic, says Philip Gorelick, a vascular neurologist at Michigan State University in East Lansing.