Methamphetamine : the Australian alert on the risks of cardiovascular accidents

belchonock/epictura

Published the 31.07.2017 at 15h43

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amphétaminedrogueaddictionAustralie

It has been popularized by the american tv series ” Breaking Bad “. Unfortunately, the notoriety of the meth is not limited to fiction. This drug is particularly powerful to wreak havoc in Australia. According to a study published in the journal Addiction, the number of deaths attributable to them has doubled in the country between 2009 and 2015.

The work reveals that the “Crystal Meth” is at the origin of an epidemic of deaths from heart disease and from suicide violent among the consumers. The analysis of 1649 deaths occurring during this period shows that while 43 % of these deaths were related to overdose, 40 % of them were due to “natural disease” or a suicide violent.

A risk misunderstood among young people

The “natural diseases” account for 22 % of all deaths related to methamphetamine. They manifest themselves in the form of a pathology of heart or cardiovascular and STROKE, the study says.

“Heart disease and STROKE are not part of the known symptoms by the young consumers of meth, but the risk is nevertheless real “, alarmed the authors, who have calculated that, overall, users had a reduced life expectancy of 44 years. Mortality rates within this population are six times higher than those observed in the general population.

The practitioners themselves tend to ignore heart risk among their patients and consumers of methamphetamine, in part because they are rather young. This “danger concealed” must be part of the elements taken into account and evaluated by the therapists, suggest the authors.

Long-term effects

Researchers insist on this ” major public health problem “, which could represent an increasing burden for the australian health system. “Even if the whole world stopped today to take the méthamphéntamine, it is necessary to expect a significant number of people with severe heart “.

Source : Addiction

Moreover, they emphasize that the support of the addiction to methamphetamine in rural areas proves to be faulty, while the consumption increases in these regions, especially among women.

Australia would be approximately 300 000 regular users of meth, according to national estimates. The specialists are suggestive of risks as high as those related to heroin, better identified by the people. They reported a lack of information to the public on the dangers of this drug. “Even a small amount can kill them and cause a heart attack” alert.