Cardiovascular diseases as
underlying cause of death among
treated drug users
Pooled analyze of cohort study data from Barcelona,Romunia,
Malta,Latvia, Croatia, Slovenia and
Norway
Cardiovascular diseases are also complications
related to drug abuse
- heroin
direct toxcic effect on myocardial muscle, coronary arteries
increase parasympatic tone via effect on CV centre in med. obl.
hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke
- cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine
cardiotoxity
Number and sheare of cohort members, deaths,
and deaths due to CV causes of death
Men
Women
Total
N cohort
members
N death
24 231
6 947
31 178
2 406
529
2 935
Gender
Men
State
Average age at entry
Aaverage age at
death or end of study
Difference
Deceased
32,1
36,6
Alive
28,7
35,7
4,5
7
N death due
to CV
diseases
160
32
193
% of
all deaths
% of
CV deaths
9, 93 %
7, 61 %
9, 41 %
6, 65 %
6, 05 %
6, 58 %
Difference
deceased M-W
Women
-1
-1,3
Deceased
33,1
37,9
Alive
28,6
35,1
-0,3
4,8
6,5
Mean age at death due to diseases as
underlyung cause of death
Underlying
cause of death
Number of cases Mean age at
death
HIV
Liver infections
Infectious
diseases
Tuberculosis
Neoplasms
Nervous.
Cardiovascular
Respiratory
Digestive sys.
Other causes
Summ
295
47
26
37,0
42,0
38,0
8
102
14
192
115
80
149
1028
38,1
44,6
39,6
36,8
38,5
42,1
34,8
Mean age at
death in
Slovenia in
2013, population
>65 years
46,1
55,8
45,5
56,1
55,1
54,7
Minimum age at
death of treated
drug users
22,8
22,1
21,4
19,6
23,7
27,2
16,5
16,7
28,8
18,8
Mean age at death due to external causes
as underlyung cause of death
Underlying
cause of death
Overdose
Suicides
Traffic accidents
Injuries
Accidents
Agressions
Summ
Number of cases Mean age at
death
727
32,7
100
31,3
60
34,0
51
34,0
48
32,2
33
29,6
1019
SD mean age at
death
8,0
7,9
8,3
8,8
9,8
9,1
Minimum age at
death
15,9
16,9
17,5
17,3
17,4
18,5
Age standardized death rate (DSR) among treated
drug users, pooled cohort data
All causes of
death,
treated drug
users 15-49
years
Sex
SMR
95% CI low
95 CI high
Men
Women
Total
12,2
24,7
13,4
11,6
22,2
11,8
12,8
27,4
14,0
CV diseases
as causes of
death,
treated drug
users 15-49
years
Sex
SMR
95% CI low
95 CI high
Men
Women
Total
9,9
18,3
10,7
8,4
12,8
9,2
11,6
26,1
12,4
DSR/1000
PY
17,1
13,9
15,8
DSR/1000
PY
1,7
1,5
1,6
Years of potential life lost (YPLL), among treated
drug users, pooled cohort data
YPLL due to all Sex
causes of death,
treated drug users Men
10-64 years
Women
Total
YPLL due to
CV causes of
death, treated
deug users 1064
Number of
deceased
1689
368
2057
YPLL
YPLL/ 1
deceased
33,6
33,5
33,8
56 785
12 315
69 537
Sex
Number of
deceased
YPLL
YPLL/ 1
deceased
Men
Women
Total
158
32
190
5285
1025
6310
33,4
32,0
33,2
YPLL/1
deceased
in EU-28,
age 15-49
30,4
22,9
22,4
Cardiovascular causes of death
Cause of death
Number
%
Hypertension
Acute ischemic heart disease IHD acc.
Chronic ischemic heart disease CIHD
Pulmonary embolism, acute cor pulmonale
Endocarditis and valvular diseases
Cardiomiopathias
Cardiac arrest
Heart failure
Hemorrhagic stroke
Undetermined stroke
Atherosclerosis aortae
Pheripheral thrombosis
Total
2
29
17
12
13
73
4
17
19
2
2
1
191
1
15,2
8,9
6,3
6,8
38,2
2,1
8,9
9,9
1,0
1,0
0,5
100,0
Conclusion
Drug users dies younger and has higher
cardiovascular mortality rate than its peer
population.
It is needed to search, monitor, and cure early
symptoms of cardiovascular disease also in drug
users population.