title: Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke Events in Methamphetamine Users: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term follow-up data regarding the association between methamphetamine use and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications are scarce. We investigated the risk of complications in methamphetamine users over a decade.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1,315 inpatients treated for methamphetamine use were recruited from the Psychiatric Inpatient Medical Claims database in Taiwan between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2000, and matched with a population proxy comparison group at a ratio of 1:4 through propensity score matching. All patients were monitored for any incident complication until December 31, 2010. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the risk of ICD-9-CM cardiovascular diseases and stroke events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients were mostly male, and approximately half were younger than 30 years. The methamphetamine cohort had higher incidences of cardiovascular diseases and stroke events than the comparison cohort (87.5/10,000 vs 55.3/10,000 person-years, P < .001) and was significantly associated with an increased risk of the complications (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.55, P < .001), particularly arrhythmia (HR = 1.92, P = .014) and hemorrhagic stroke (HR = 2.09, P = .001). The risk of cardiovascular sequelae was more significant in younger patients (< 30 y) (HR = 2.22, P = .001), whereas the risk of stroke events was higher among the older patients (≥ 30 y) (HR = 1.86, P = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methamphetamine use is significantly associated with a risk of subsequent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. Age appears to be an effect modifier for the risk estimation.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
authors: Ming-Chyi
authors: MC
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Pharmacy, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.
authors: Shu-Yu
authors: SY
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
authors: Shih-Ku
authors: SK
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Kuan-Yu
authors: KY
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.|Institute of Public Health, Department of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: Ying-Yeh
authors: YY
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
authors: Chian-Jue
authors: CJ
authors: Kuo
authors: School of Gerontology Health Management and Master Program in Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, No 250, Wu-Hsing St, Taipei 11031, Taiwan. yn111.hung@gmail.com.|School of Gerontology Health Management and Master Program in Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
authors: Yen-Ni
authors: YN
authors: Hung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012306:Risk; D020521:Stroke / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine