Cocaine use and stroke
- 1 June 2007
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Vol. 83 (980), 389-394
- https://doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.2006.055970
Abstract
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in developed countries. In England and Wales, 1000 people under the age of 30 have a stroke each year. Cocaine is the most commonly used class A drug, and the first report of cocaine-induced stroke was in 1977. Since the development of alkaloidal “crack” cocaine in the 1980s, there has been a significant rise in the number of case reports describing both ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke associated with cocaine use. Cocaine is a potent central nervous system stimulant, and acts by binding to specific receptors at pre-synaptic sites preventing the reuptake of neurotransmitters. The exact mechanism of cocaine-induced stroke remains unclear and there are likely to be a number of factors involved including vasospasm, cerebral vasculitis, enhanced platelet aggregation, cardioembolism, and hypertensive surges associated with altered cerebral autoregulation. The evidence surrounding each of these factors will be considered here.Keywords
This publication has 101 references indexed in Scilit:
- Vasospasm and Thrombus Formation as Possible Mechanisms of Stroke Related to Alkaloidal CocaineStroke, 1995
- Cocaine-induced platelet defects.Stroke, 1993
- Central nervous system infarction related to cocaine abuse.Stroke, 1991
- Ischemic colitis in a crack abuserDigestive Diseases and Sciences, 1991
- Multiple intracerebral hemorrhages after smoking "crack" cocaine.Stroke, 1990
- Zidovudine Overdose in a ChildNew England Journal of Medicine, 1990
- Acute Rhabdomyolysis Associated with Cocaine IntoxicationNew England Journal of Medicine, 1988
- Cardiovascular effects of cocaine: An autopsy study of 40 patientsAmerican Heart Journal, 1988
- Stroke after heavy cannabis smokingPublished by Oxford University Press (OUP) ,1987
- Medical Complications of Cocaine AbuseNew England Journal of Medicine, 1986