title: Findings on Doppler echocardiography in asymptomatic intravenous heroin users.
abstract: To detect potential cardiac abnormalities induced by intravenous heroin use, 68 persons without a previous episode of infective endocarditis were studied by Doppler echocardiography. A control group of 41 normal subjects was studied for comparison. The following measurements were considered: (1) diameter of heart chambers, (2) systolic left ventricular function, (3) morphologic valvular abnormalities, (4) presence of valve regurgitations, (5) Doppler indexes of diastolic function, and (6) estimation of pulmonary arterial resistances. Results showed no significant differences regarding the size of the heart chambers or systolic left ventricular function. A significantly higher incidence of valvular abnormalities (focal thickening or valve prolapse) was found in drug addicts (p = 0.0009) at the mitral and tricuspid valves, as was valvular regurgitation detected by Doppler (p = 0.04). Also, a significantly prolonged deceleration time of mitral and tricuspid early diastolic Doppler flow was found in the study group (p = 0.0001 and 0.027, respectively) although a different hemodynamic condition in the study group (pharmacologically reduced preload) precluded these findings to be attributable to an actual diastolic dysfunction. No differences were observed in pulmonary arterial resistances. It is concluded that mitral and tricuspid valve abnormalities can be detected by echocardiography in asymptomatic intravenous heroin users, whereas no apparent effects are observed in morphologic or functional parameters of cardiac structures other than the valves.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Cardiologia, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pons-Lladó
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Borrás
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cadafalch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fuster
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guardia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000473:pathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left