Heart Health
Illicit drugs linked to higher risk of atrial fibrillation
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- Reviewed by Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H, Former Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter
Using recreational drugs — including methamphetamines, opiates, cocaine, or cannabis — may increase a person's risk for atrial fibrillation (afib), according to a study published online Oct. 18, 2022, by the European Heart Journal.
The study included data from more than 23.5 million adults who were free of afib and received care in an emergency department, hospital, or outpatient surgery facility between January 2005 to December 2015. About 4% developed afib during the 11-year study.
After adjusting for factors that could influence the risk of afib (including age, obesity, tobacco use, diabetes, and coronary artery disease), researchers found that use of illicit drugs was linked to a higher risk of developing afib. Methamphetamine use was associated with a nearly doubled risk. Cannabis (the most widely used drug among the participants) appeared to increase afib risk by 35%, which was very similar to the added risk conferred by tobacco use.
According to the authors, the findings support continued efforts to reduce substance abuse, which may help reduce long-term complications linked to afib. Afib raises a person's risk of stroke by five times.
Image: © Eugene Mymrin/Getty Images
About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H, Former Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter
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