December 2, 2022
Rates of heart failure associated with the growing use of methamphetamine are rising worldwide, according to researchers.
Previously published research showed that use of ice was associated with serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and sudden death.
But there had been no comprehensive systematic review of published research on meth use and heart failure, prompting a team of US and Canadian researchers to try to bridge this knowledge gap.
They reviewed the findings of 21 observational studies carried out in different countries between 1997 and 2020.
The studies collectively involved several thousand people, ranging in age from 35 to 60.
Meth use included inhalation, injection, swallowing, smoking, and snorting, with reported frequency ranging from daily to every other week, and total monthly dose ranging from 0.35-24.5g.
The review showed that the prevalence of meth heart failure was on the rise worldwide, particularly over the past decade, and affected a wide range of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but more men than women.
The average duration of meth use before a heart failure diagnosis was five years, but in almost 1-in-5 of those users who develop heart failure, this happened within 12 months.
And in some cases, heart failure was diagnosed after single use.
Meth heart failure was also associated with a greater likelihood of other substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other heart and kidney disease.
The researchers acknowledged several limitations to their findings, including that most of the 21 studies were small, retrospective and observational.
They said there was an urgent need for well-designed studies of meth users to build an accurate evidence base for the effective prevention and treatment of meth heart failure.
The research results were published online this week in the journal Heart.
