Drug abuse: another challenge for the cardiologist?

J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown). 2014 Jul;15(7):525-31. doi: 10.2459/JCM.0b013e3283641b3d.

Abstract

The abuse of illicit drugs is a major social and health problem. In fact, illicit drugs are responsible for many adverse systemic effects, which may require urgent medical treatment. In the present review, we report details on the prevalence of the major illicit drugs abused in Europe in 2009, according to the 2011 report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), focusing on the effects on the cardiovascular system, including sudden cardiac death.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cardiology / methods*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / etiology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / therapy
  • Disease Management
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Prevalence
  • Substance-Related Disorders* / complications
  • Substance-Related Disorders* / epidemiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders* / therapy