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Stimulants

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Stimulants are substances that enhance neural activity and elevate dopamine levels in the brain, leading to their highly addictive nature. These drugs include cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, caffeine, and nicotine, each with distinct mechanisms of action and varied health implications.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder

A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder

Published on: June 18, 2018

Cocaine and the heart.

Suraj Maraj¹, Vincent M Figueredo, D Lynn Morris

¹Albert Einstein Medical Center, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. marajs@einstein.edu

Clinical Cardiology

|June 1, 2010

Summary

Cocaine use causes significant emergency department visits and serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks. These complications lead to hospitalizations and substantial healthcare costs, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and intervention.

Area of Science:

Cardiology
Toxicology
Public Health

Background:

Cocaine use is a significant public health issue in the US, accounting for 5-10% of emergency department visits.
Chest pain is the most frequent medical complaint among cocaine users presenting to emergency departments.
Cocaine-related medical issues incur substantial healthcare costs, exceeding $83 million annually for myocardial infarction evaluations alone.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the spectrum of cardiovascular complications associated with cocaine use.
To highlight the incidence and economic impact of cocaine-related chest pain and myocardial infarction.
To emphasize that pre-existing vascular disease is not required for cocaine-induced cardiovascular events.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on cocaine toxicity and cardiovascular complications.

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Analysis of emergency department visit data related to cocaine use.

Synthesis of information on the types and prevalence of cardiovascular events.

Main Results:

Cocaine use is linked to acute and chronic toxicity, with chest pain being the most common presentation.
Approximately 64,000 annual emergency department visits are for cocaine-related chest pain, with 57% requiring hospitalization.
Cardiovascular complications include myocardial ischemia, infarction, arrhythmias, sudden death, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, aortic rupture, and endocarditis.

Conclusions:

Cocaine use poses a severe risk for a wide range of cardiovascular complications.
The economic burden of cocaine-related cardiovascular events is substantial.
Individuals do not require pre-existing vascular disease to experience serious cardiac events from cocaine use.