April 21, 2021
HOUSTON – (April 21, 2021) – Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, yet researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found that those 55 and younger are not treated as aggressively, and women receive less than optimal preventative care when compared to men among this group of young patients with ASCVD.
The study, one of the largest to date published in JAMA Cardiology¸ reviewed medical records of 147,600 veterans with premature ASCVD, which includes patients who suffered from heart disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease at a young age. The investigators found that not only were women significantly less likely to receive antiplatelets, statin or high-intensity statin therapies, they also were less likely to adhere to their statin therapy regimen when compared with men.
February 19, 2021
The recreational use of any illicit drug cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, or others is associated with nearly a threefold higher risk of premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and this risk is even more pronounced in those who combine different drugs, according to a study published this week.
Overall, the risk of premature ASCVD was more than two to three times higher in individuals who used a single recreational drug, including tobacco, alcohol, or an illicit substance. The risk of premature ASCVD was over six times more likely in patients who used three recreational drugs, and nearly ninefold higher in those who used at least four recreational drugs.
Drinking, smoking and recreational drug use increases the risk for premature heart disease in young people, particularly younger women, an analysis published Monday by the journal Heart found.