Cocaine may increase stroke risk within 24 hours of use
Stroke Reports Thursday, February 27th, 2014AHA: February 12, 2014
Study Highlights:
- Cocaine greatly increases ischemic stroke risk in young adults within 24 hours of use.
- Stroke risk associated with acute cocaine use is much higher than other stroke risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking.
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12, 2014 — Cocaine greatly increases ischemic stroke risk in young adults within 24 hours of use, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2014.
Ischemic strokes occur when a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain becomes blocked, preventing a continuous supply of blood to the brain.
“We set out to understand what factors contribute to stroke risk in young adults,” said Yu-Ching Cheng, Ph.D., research scientist at Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “These factors could be personal behaviors, medical or environmental factors, or genetic factors. Read More
