Methamphetamine use linked to heightened stroke risk in the young
A stroke caused by a bleed into the brain ( haemorrhagic ) rather than a clot (ischaemic) is the most common type associated with taking this drug, with men twice as likely to succumb as women, the findings show. Given the often disabling or fatal consequences of a stroke, and the increasing use of methamphetamine among young people, particularly in countries around the Pacific rim (North America, East and Southeast Asia, and Oceania), the findings are a cause for concern, warn the researchers. They base their findings on a comprehensive trawl of research looking at a potential link between methamphetamine use and associated stroke risk in young people (under the age of 45), and published up to February 2017. They found 77 relevant pieces of research out of 370, including epidemiological studies and case report series. Some 81 haemorrhagic and 17 ischaemic strokes were reported. Both types were around twice as common in men as they were in women. In the case reports/series,...