Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2025
07:46
Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
43.9K
Drugs of Misuse: Focus on Vascular Dysfunction
Holly R Middlekauff1, Ziva D Cooper2, Sasha B Strauss3
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA; Department of Physiology, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
The Canadian Journal of Cardiology
|April 24, 2022
Summary
Drug misuse, including cannabis, stimulants, alcohol, and anabolic steroids, causes diverse vascular effects and cardiovascular risks. Understanding these varied impacts is crucial for physicians to provide informed patient counseling and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Toxicology
- Public Health
Background:
- Substance misuse is a significant public health concern with diverse health implications.
- Vascular and cardiovascular effects of commonly misused drugs are varied and complex.
- Physicians require updated knowledge on the cardiovascular risks associated with drug misuse.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the acute and chronic vascular effects of common drugs of misuse.
- To highlight the range of cardiovascular presentations associated with substance abuse.
- To inform healthcare providers about the specific vascular consequences of various drugs.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on the vascular effects of cannabis, opioids, stimulants, alcohol, and anabolic steroids.
- Analysis of clinical cardiovascular presentations linked to substance misuse.
- Synthesis of information regarding atherosclerosis, hypertension, stroke, and myocardial infarction risks.
Main Results:
- Cannabis use is linked to increased risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.
- Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine increase risks for stroke, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerosis; methamphetamine is linked to pulmonary hypertension.
- Chronic alcohol use is associated with hypertension and hemorrhagic stroke, but potentially lower myocardial infarction risk; anabolic steroids increase atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction risk.
Conclusions:
- Different drugs of misuse exert distinct vascular effects and cardiovascular risks.
- Physicians must be aware of these specific short- and long-term vascular consequences.
- Informed counseling and treatment are essential for patients misusing these substances.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications
3.2K
Cardiovascular diseases, encompassing a range of conditions, can significantly affect the heart's operations and the overall circulatory system. These conditions impair the heart's ability to pump blood, leading to a deficit in oxygen supply to crucial organs. Anomalies in the heart's electrical system, known as arrhythmias, can cause heartbeats to accelerate or slow down. Usually, heart rates increase during physical activity and decrease while resting or sleeping. However,...
3.2K
01:23Antihypertensive Drugs: Vasodilators
671
Vasodilators, primarily affecting the smooth muscles within arterial and venous walls, are commonly used for hypertension treatment. Medications such as minoxidil and hydralazine primarily target arteries and arterioles, while sodium nitroprusside acts on arterioles and venules. Minoxidil, functioning as a prodrug, is metabolized by hepatic sulfotransferase into its active form, minoxidil sulfate, after oral administration. This metabolite binds to the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) component of...
671
01:22Heart Failure Drugs: Diuretics
515
Heart failure and kidney perfusion are interconnected in a complex way. Reduced renal perfusion and venous congestion are two significant factors that contribute to renal dysfunction in heart failure. The kidneys, primarily responsible for fluid balance in the body, are adversely affected due to compromised cardiac output and increased venous pressure. In response to reduced renal perfusion, the kidneys activate neurohumoral mechanisms to restore balance. However, these mechanisms can be...
515
01:29Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis
1.6K
Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase,...
1.6K
01:21Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Release or Uptake
1.2K
Certain drugs can affect how neurotransmitters called catecholamines, are released or taken back up in the adrenergic neuron. They can have different effects on the body's sympathetic transmission. Reserpine, a natural compound found in the Rauwolfia shrub, blocks a transporter called vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), which leads to a buildup of catecholamines in the cell and reduces sympathetic transmission. Another drug called guanethidine works in multiple ways, including blocking...
1.2K
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
871
Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
871