Deadly Trend: Methamphetamine reveals a new face – that of a slow, silent killer

Deadly Trend: Methamphetamine reveals a new face – that of a slow, silent killer

SAN DIEGO COUNTY (July 23, 2014) – Officials from the Methamphetamine Strike Force are drawing attention to a quiet threat that has emerged over the last few years, one most meth users never stop to consider: death by heart attack.

From 2008 to 2013, there was a 93% increase of meth-related deaths.  In 2013, 267 persons had meth in their system when they died. Overdoses represent the largest proportion of meth-related deaths, though meth is also detected in homicides, suicides, motor vehicle crashes, and other kinds of incidents.

Like many population centers in the country, San Diego County has its share of meth-related deaths. Residents see media headlines about meth-related overdoses but little is reported about the silent, but enormous, strain the stimulant causes to a person’s heart. A third of all overdose deaths involved cardio-vascular disease.

“About two-thirds of meth overdose deaths in San Diego County occur in combination with natural disease – and most often that’s heart disease, “ says Dr. Jonathan Lucas, chief deputy medical examiner for the county. “In 2012, nearly 100 people died with that combination, either with meth alone, or meth and other drugs that resulted in cardiovascular events.”

“Meth is a killer for sure, but people might not realize that it’s more likely to cause a heart attack than to be associated with a homicide or a suicide,” said Lucas.

Meth use creates cardiovascular problems that don’t go away, according to local and federal health officials. Chronic abuse of this stimulant is associated with irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), rapid pulse, high blood pressure, inflammation of the small blood vessels near the brain and inflammation of the heart lining (endocarditis).

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has documented that chronic meth use can result in strokes or increased the risk for cardiovascular collapse. NIDA lists many other health problems for current and former meth users, including brain damage, lung and kidney problems, poor dental health, skin infections, and a higher incidence of Parkinson’s disease.

The San Diego region has a long history with methamphetamine. Meth was once made in rural labs, and was primarily sold and used by local biker gangs. Today, virtually all the meth sold in our region comes from sophisticated Mexican drug cartels – a fact that has a tremendous effect on price and purity of the drug, with prices being the lowest in years, and purity reported to be very high.

People generally think of meth addicts as jittery, thin and with sores on their faces or arms. The public recognizes that meth is highly addictive, and recognizes behavior linked to meth use – like crime, erratic moods and more.

What few realize is that there is an aging population of meth users who are dying of heart disease and other chronic conditions that are exacerbated as a result of their drug use.

“What makes this even worse is that many users and addicts don’t typically see a doctor for check-ups or routine health care,” said John Richardson, Vice President of Mental Health Systems, a community-based, social service, mental health and drug treatment agency that serves communities in Southern California.

The lack of routine care received by drug users has led many drug treatment programs to offer mobile health vans at their sites to do health screenings for clients.

“It may be the first time in a decade that a client has actually seen a doctor,” Richardson said.

With the Affordable Care Act, public health officials say there’s going to be more focus on health screenings and improved access to medical care for many drug users who might rarely, if ever, see a doctor.

“Doctors may recognize meth use, and they can tell patients to stop using because it’s harming them,” said Richardson. “But addiction is generally more powerful than a doctor’s word. We need to get these people connected to drug treatment and medical homes simultaneously in some way.”

Researchers have shown that some of the brain effects of meth use can improve with time, which means one to two years of abstinence.

Meth affects the part of the brain which creates dopamine, a brain function which allows us to feel pleasure. Brain scans show that neurobiological effects can be – at least partially – reversible. Researchers have also documented better performance on motor and verbal memory tests with at least 14 months of abstinence from meth use.

Cardiovascular damage is a different story, doctors say.

Meth use causes permanent damage to blood vessels of both the heart and brain. Use of the drug also triggers extremely high blood pressure – which contributed to the 94 cardio-vascular fatal events in 2013 documented by the County Medical Examiner.

“There’s a very plausible reason for the uptick in these types of deaths,” said Lucas, of the Medical Examiner’s Office. “People don’t recognize this quiet way meth is likely to kill them.”

Earlier intervention, drug treatment and abstinence are needed to prevent further degradation of a person’s cardiovascular system, experts say.