February Is American Heart Month: Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?

If you’re battling drug or alcohol addiction chances are the answer to this question is “yes.”

There is shown to be a direct connection between drug and alcohol addiction and irregular heartbeat, collapsed veins, bacterial infections, cardiovascular distress, heart attack and stroke. As Dr. Richard Denisco of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, explains, “Certain drugs of abuse pose a significant risk for heart disease — tobacco, cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol.”

Consider these findings:

• Excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year in the United States from 2006 – 2010, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years. Heavy drinking, especially bingeing, makes platelets more likely to clump together into blood clots, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. In a landmark study published in 2005, Harvard researchers found that binge drinking doubled the risk of death among people who initially survived a heart attack. Heavy drinking can also cause cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly condition in which the heart muscle weakens and eventually fails, as well as heart rhythm abnormalities such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation.

• Repeated cocaine use has been proven to raise the risk of heart attack, according to a 2008 report from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. 10% of heart attacks in people 18-45 years old were associated with more than 10 uses of cocaine over their lifetime. Cocaine and crack are short-acting, powerful stimulants that act directly on the heart muscle, the brain’s neurotransmitters, blood vessels, nerve tissue and organ functions. Direct cardiovascular symptoms of cocaine and stimulant abuse include rapid or irregular heartbeats, sudden increase in blood pressure, arterial weakness that leads to rupture, and stroke.

Whitney Houston’s death put a spotlight on how alcohol and drugs --- especially cocaine --- contributes to heart disease. In an infamous 2002 interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer, pop icon Whitney Houston candidly spoke about her abuse of drugs such as cocaine, which, along with heart disease, factored into her accidental drowning according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The final cause of death was established as drowning due to atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.

“It has been [alcohol, marijuana, pills, cocaine] at times,” Houston told Sawyer in the interview that delved into her addiction struggles. “Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to do. It’s my decision; the biggest devil is me. I’m my best friend and my worst enemy.”

Cardiovascular disease —including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure—is the number 1 killer of women and men in the U.S. But you don’t have to become part of this statistic. As Whitney Houston said, it’s your decision.

You can choose to be your best friend and battle your addiction. I know it’s not easy. I know the road is a long and winding one. But the help and treatment you need to achieve lifelong recovery is just a phone call away.

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David Bohl is Executive Director of Kiva Recovery, the trusted resource in addiction treatment. Focusing on the individual and the strengths within each of us, Kiva’s treatment approach aims to replace addiction with solution-focused, growth-oriented strategies focusing on Lifelong Recovery through Holistic Health, Positive Character Building through Continuous Character Growth, and Life Satisfaction through Contentment. The Kiva Recovery treatment center is located in Vernon Hills. To learn more, please visit www.KivaRecovery.com.