Change in the pattern of illegal drug use in an inner city population over 50: an observational study

Though alcohol and prescription drug abuse are well studied in older adults, there is little information regarding illicit drug use in older adults. We investigated illicit drug use in older adults presenting to an inner city emergency department in Los Angeles over a 10-month period. Of 3,417 adults over 50 presenting to the Emergency Department (ED), charts of 107, whose urine toxicology screens were positive for illicit drugs, were reviewed retrospectively. Cocaine was used most frequently (63%), followed by opiates (16%) and marijuana (14%). These rates of drug usage essentially mirror those seen in the general population of the Los Angeles area. Fifty-nine percent of patients using illicit drugs had cardiovascular disease compared with 10% of all older adults upon initial presentation to the ED. The use of illicit drugs by older persons may be an expanding phenomenon conferring serious but unrecognized health risks, and is in need of further study.