Cocaine: the newest risk factor for cardiovascular disease

Cocaine-related cardiovascular events escalated during the 1980s as cocaine became purer, cheaper, and easier to obtain. Cocaine abuse is a risk factor for myocardial ischemia and/or infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, ruptured aortic aneurysm, cerebral infarction, infective endocarditis, vascular thrombosis, myocarditis, and dilated cardiomyopathy. As medical and social complications of cocaine have become evident, and with the growing negative image of cocaine, the number of first-time users has begun to decline. Cocaine abuse is seen on all levels of our society and has emerged as an issue of significant medical and public health importance. All routes and forms of cocaine abuse are potentially cardiotoxic and can be lethal. Fatal cardiac complications can occur in a first-time user. All physicians should be alert for cocaine abuse when confronted with unexplained cardiac symptoms. Cocaine is the newest and sometimes unrecognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease in young individuals otherwise free of cardiovascular risk factors.