Cocaine use cleared over long-term heart damage

California researchers have found no link between cocaine and hardening of the arteries.

The study of more than 3000 adults suggests that the drug's heart-damaging effects are likely to occur immediately after use, and do not result from any long-term effects, says Dr Mark Pletcher of the University of California at San Francisco, the study's main author.

Cocaine is known to boost heart rate and blood pressure, and has been firmly linked to heart attacks and sudden death, Dr Pletcher and his colleagues write in the American Heart Journal.

But it was not clear whether using the drug regularly caused additional harm to the heart and blood vessels.

Dr Pletcher and his team looked at whether there was any connection between arterial calcium deposits as measured by the scanning technique computed tomography and reported drug use among 3038 patients participating in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study.

Such calcium deposits are a well-established marker for atherosclerosis, the stiffening of the arteries that increases the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Study participants ranged in age from 35 to 45, and 35 per cent reported using cocaine in the past.

- REUTERS