Cardiomyopathy Is More Common in Methamphetamine Users

The cardiomyopathic effects of methamphetamine have been previously noted only in case series. In this case-control study, researchers examined the relationship between methamphetamine use and cardiomyopathy (CM) in patients discharged from a tertiary care medical center in Honolulu.

Through medical record review of patients aged 45 years or younger, researchers identified 107 cases (i.e., had a discharge diagnosis of CM or congestive heart failure) and 114 controls (i.e., had echocardiographic evidence of normal heart function [i.e., ejection fraction >55% and no wall motion abnormalities]).

• Forty-two percent of cases and 20% of controls had ever used methamphetamine.
• Methamphetamine use was significantly more common in cases than in controls in analyses adjusted for age, body mass index, and renal failure (odds ratio, 3.7).

Comments:

These data—plus a plausible pathophysiological mechanism of injury related to excess catecholamines—support an evolving perspective: methamphetamine use is an important cause of cardiomyopathy in younger heart failure patients in regions where the drug is commonly abused.

Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH

Reference:

Yeo K-K, Wijetunga M, Ito Hiroki, et al. The association of methamphetamine use and cardiomyopathy in young patients. Am J Med. 2007;120(2):165–171.