Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated With Amphetamine Use and Smoking in a Young Healthy Individual

One of the primary causes of death among methamphetamine users is cardiovascular disease, which is a result of the narrowing and spasm of blood vessels caused by the drug. This leads to increased blood pressure and heart rate, which can damage the heart muscle at the molecular level. The most common forms of chronic cardiovascular disease associated with methamphetamine use are coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy. Here, we report a case of myocardial infarction (MI) due to amphetamine use and smoking in a young healthy male who developed ST-elevation myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation (VF), and cardiac arrest. A 28-year-old male presented to the emergency department with chest pain and shortness of breath during exercise. Immediately upon presentation, electrocardiography was done which initially showed sinus tachycardia that progressed to right bundle branch block and ST elevation with a shark fin morphology, followed by VF and cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated and underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting of the left anterior descending artery. Cardiotoxic manifestations such as acute MI, heart failure, or arrhythmia related to misuse of amphetamines have been rarely documented. This case report describes the clinical course and management of a young male patient who suffered a life-threatening cardiac event triggered by smoking and amphetamine abuse.