Cocaine Skyrockets Chance of Stroke in Young Adults

Researcher scientist Yu-Ching Cheng, Ph.D., from the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center set out to study contributing factors for strokes in young adults.

While studying, he discovered something surprising. He found that cocaine increases the risk of stroke more than was thought. In fact, his research, presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2014, showed that snorting cocaine increases ischemic stroke risk six to seven times within a 24-hour window.

“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. 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.”

Ischemic strokes are caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain. Symptoms of an ischemic stroke are visual problems, trouble walking, numbness, and lightheadedness. Cocaine is known to cause increased heart rate, heightened blood pressure and constricted blood flow.

Due to the fact that not all stroke victims were tested for narcotics, the percentage may be even higher than he found. It is recommended that a young adult who experiences a stroke should be tested for narcotics in their system.

As there are risks associated with any substance abuse, it is particularly life threatening for a young adult to suffer a stroke. If you need more information, Narconon Louisiana offers full information on both cocaine and the signs of cocaine abuse. In addition, we offer drug education on signs of drug abuse for all drugs. Please contact us today for assistance in finding treatment for your loved one.