Drugs That Can Damage the Heart
Around 610,000 individuals die annually due to heart disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even the World Health Organization ranked heart disease as the top global cause of death, recording a total of nearly 10 million deaths in 2016. One of the worst culprits of cardiovascular disease is the use of drugs, which we will discuss in this article. A lot of recorded cases of heart malfunction may be traced to intake of illegal drugs. In light of this matter, it is important to get things clear on how some drugs increase the risk of heart disease.
Brief Background on Illicit Drugs and Controlled Substances In a nutshell, controlled drugs are substances that are allowed for use under certain legal conditions and limitations. Some of the most popular drugs in this category include cocaine, marijuana, heroin, methamphetamines, and amphetamines. These drugs have legally instilled limitations due to the different effects on the user, particularly on heart health.
Effects of Illegal Drugs Some of the most common effects of taking illicit drugs – especially when abused or taken outside prescribed dosage – include abnormal heart rate and heart attack. Other problems related to the circulatory system include bacterial blood infections in blood vessels and heart valves.
On top of these effects, some drugs also attack the central nervous system and interfere with the user’s consciousness. Use of these drugs are also proven to lead to changes in temperature and blood pressure. Also, users of any of these drugs have a high likelihood to experience nausea, headaches and abdominal pain. Greater risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are also lurking possibilities for users of these drugs. The substances may also impair judgement, and cause seizures and respiratory problems.
The Perfect Heart Attack Drug Of all the popular drugs, the most notorious in causing heart diseases is cocaine. In fact, it has earned the label as the “perfect heart-attack drug.” Given that this drug is taken in through inhalation or water-dissolved substance injections, cocaine mixes with the bloodstream and does the damage from there. Once the effects have kicked in, the risk of stroke and heart attack is also extremely high. Damages done by cocaine also include increased blood pressure, thicker heart muscles and inflexible arteries. All of these signs of heart damage from drugs may show up at any rate, anytime. These health issues may become contributing factors to heart attack. Aside from these, use of the said drug may lead to habit formation and eventually evolve into drug abuse if not identified and controlled earlier on.
Drugs That Affect Heart Health On the flip side, some medications are legal for prescription to patients. Unfortunately, when misused or abused, these “safe” medicines may actually do more harm than good. Here are some drugs that may cause heart damage:
NSAIDs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs offer a wide variety of benefits, but some of the most popular ones are designed for pain relief. Ketorolac, diclofenac, indomethacin, and ibuprofen fall under this category of drugs. NSAIDs have a tendency to retain water and salt. With these elements still present in blood circulation, blood thickens and impairs the normal process.
Diabetes Medicines Another drug that poses a serious threat to heart health is diabetes medication. These drugs contain thiazolidinediones that cause excess fluid and nutrient retention, which increases the risk of heart failure in people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Aside from this effect, diabetes medications also contribute to weight gain, which may later on lead to greater risks of heart failure. In addition, it also has dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, which is also an aggravating factor to cardiovascular malfunction.
Blood Pressure Medicines Medicines for blood pressure ironically pose a threat to heart health as well. This is due to the presence of calcium channel blockers that make fluids stay in the body. These medicines are also composed of central agonists that alter the hormone release processes related to normal heart functioning.
Over-the-counter Drugs Shocking as it may seem, over-the-counter drugs can also be contributors to heart failure. Despite the minority of the disease it attempts to heal such as common colds and body pains, it can be a huge contributor, especially if a person already has an existing heart condition. This reminder should also serve as a limiting factor to depend too much on these drugs. Nasal decongestants, for instance, can narrow blood vessels. This could result to impaired blood flow that will later on affect the circulatory system as whole.
Natural supplements Given the absence of regulatory mandates for natural supplements, what you read on the label is what you get. However, despite this transparency, some of these drugs may eventually lead to serious risks. This risk is even intensified for people with existing health conditions. Vitamins are no exception to this situation as well. Some studies have proven that an amount ​beyond 400 IU of vitamin E​ could build a good chance of a person to develop heart failure.
Advice Before Taking Any Drug Many of the drugs available in the market may interfere with the flow and process of other drugs that you could be taking. This is where consultation with doctors and other medical experts come into play. A person needs to be assessed in terms of health state and lifestyle as a basis on what medicine to take and how much of it. In matters where heart and drug conditions are involved, the best precautionary measure is to ask your doctor.
Final Word Drug use and heart disease are two inseparable concepts. The former is a road that may lead to the latter. The complicated relationship between the two is also made by the duality of the drug’s effects of healing and destroying. Necessary actions must be conducted to assure moderated and reasonable use of these drugs that affect the most vital human systems. The key to avoid getting in the middle of this complex problem-solution relationship is to maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid heart disease. Another important commitment is to consult a medical expert prior to taking such medications. Finally, it will prove to be important to stay away from the path of drug addiction. You need to avoid illegal or unprescribed drug use whenever necessary, and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well.