Cocaine Use is Associated With Increased LVMI in Unstably Housed Women With Polysubstance Use

While substance use is known to influence cardiovascular health, most prior studies only consider one substance at a time. We examined associations between the concurrent use of multiple substances and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in unhoused and unstably housed women.

Between 2016 and 2019, we conducted a cohort study of unstably housed women in which measurements included an interview, serum/urine collection, vital sign assessment, and a single transthoracic echocardiogram at baseline. We evaluated independent associations between 39 separate substances confirmed through toxicology and echocardiography-confirmed LVMI.

The study included 194 participants with a median age of 53.5 years and a high proportion of women of color (72.6%). Toxicology-confirmed substance use included: 69.1% nicotine, 56.2% cocaine, 28.9% methamphetamines, 28.9% alcohol, 23.2% opioid analgesics, and 9.8% opioids with catecholaminergic effects. In adjusted analysis, cocaine was independently associated with higher LVMI (Adjusted linear effect: 18%; 95% CI 9.9, 26.6). Associations with other substances did not reach levels of significance and did not significantly interact with cocaine.

In a population of vulnerable women where the use of multiple substances is common, cocaine stands out as having particularly detrimental influences on cardiac structure. Blood pressure did not attenuate the association appreciably, suggesting direct effects of cocaine on LVMI. Routinely evaluating stimulant use as a chronic risk factor during risk assessment and preventive clinical care planning may reduce end organ damage, particularly in highly vulnerable women.