Cardiomyopathy-Associated Hospital Admissions Among Methamphetamine Users: Geographical and Social Disparities.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Toxicology

Background:

• Methamphetamine use presents a growing public health concern.
• The trends and disparities in cardiomyopathy-associated hospital admissions among methamphetamine users (CAHMA) are not well understood.
• Understanding these trends is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trends and prevalence of CAHMA from 2008 to 2020.
• To analyze these trends across various demographic factors including age, sex, race, and geographical region.
• To identify specific populations disproportionately affected by methamphetamine-related cardiomyopathy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Inpatient Sample database spanning 2008-2020.
• Identified 12,845,919 cardiomyopathy admissions, with 222,727 linked to methamphetamine use.
• Employed a generalized linear model to calculate prevalence ratios and identify trends, excluding individuals with co-occurring substance use.

Main Results:

• CAHMA demonstrated a substantial increase of 231% from 2008 to 2020 (P < 0.001).
• Significant uptrends were observed across all analyzed demographic groups, with notable increases in men (345%), Hispanic (565%), and non-Hispanic Asian (645%) populations.
• The Western region experienced the most pronounced increase (530%), indicating significant regional disparities.

Conclusions:

• CAHMA has significantly increased nationwide, underscoring the escalating impact of methamphetamine on cardiovascular health.
• Disparities were evident, with men, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian individuals, and residents of Western regions showing disproportionately higher increases.
• These findings highlight critical gender, racial/ethnic, and regional disparities in methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy, necessitating tailored public health strategies.