Stopping or Reducing Cocaine Use Associated with Lower Cardiovascular Risk Marker Levels

In this issue of ASAM’s official journal – Journal of Addiction Medicine – it’s found that for people who use cocaine, stopping or reducing cocaine use is associated with decreased levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1)—a protein that plays a key role in the development of coronary artery disease.

The findings help in understanding the high rate of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) associated with cocaine use, according to the report by Dr. Shenghan Lai and colleagues of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore. Stopping or reducing cocaine use may prevent the endothelial damage that represents the first step in the development of atherosclerosis, the study suggests.

Read the abstract here; access to the full study is one of the many benefits of ASAM membership.