A new study shows a strong link between heart failure and methamphetamine use.
Inspired by anecdotal evidence from physicians, a research team, led by UC Davis Researcher Doctor Khung-Keong Yeo, decided to take a closer look. Doctor Yeo says they examined the charts of young people with heart failure, and came across some disturbing numbers.
Yeo: Young patients are not likely to have heart attacks, then if they have heart failure then there must be something else, but of those patients with heart failure up to 40 percent had used meth before which is a horrifying number if you thing about it.
Yeo says they haven't yet determined what the actual medical cause of the heart failure in meth patients is. He says that's for future studies to settle. Right now they are conducting a study to determine if getting off meth earlier will help reduce the damage. The UC Davis Medical Center study was published in this month's American Journal of Medicine.
