Heart Health How Cocaine Affects the Cardiovascular System By Richard N. Fogoros, MD Richard N. Fogoros, MD Facebook LinkedIn Richard N. Fogoros, MD, is a retired professor of medicine and board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 02, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Mark L. Meyer, MD, JD Medically reviewed by Mark L. Meyer, MD, JD Mark Meyer, MD, JD, is a board-certified physician who specializes in diagnostic and preventative cardiology. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Cocaine, one of the most commonly used illegal drugs, can produce several kinds of toxic effects on the human body. Among the most dangerous of these are the cardiovascular effects. In fact, there are few things emergency room doctors dread more than seeing a young cocaine user showing up with chest pain, or other symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular disease. Their dread is well-founded. Cocaine use can produce a variety of potentially catastrophic cardiovascular problems, which may be entirely acute or may become chronic. Worse, these problems may occur even in people whose cocaine exposure is limited to occasional, recreational usage. Cardiac Effects of Cocaine Cocaine is a drug that inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine in neurons throughout the body. Norepinephrine is a powerful neurotransmitter within the sympathetic nervous system, and when its reuptake is inhibited, the sympathetic nervous activity becomes greatly exaggerated and prolonged. Verywell / Gary Ferster The exaggerated sympathetic nervous activity has profound effects on the cardiovascular system. It substantially increases the force of the heart muscle as it contracts, and at the same time, it raises the heart rate and the blood pressure. These factors all greatly increase the work of the heart, and therefore the demand of the heart for oxygen and nutrients. But at the same time that it is causing the cardiovascular system to work so much harder, cocaine simultaneously limits the amount of work the heart can do without damaging itself. It does this by causing constriction of the capillaries, thus reducing the blood flow to the heart muscle. In addition, cocaine promotes blood clotting within blood vessels, which limits blood flow to vital organs—including the heart. A Bad Combination of Effects While it creates a greatly increased cardiac need for oxygen, cocaine simultaneously restricts blood flow to the heart muscle, restricting the amount of oxygen that can be delivered. The cardiovascular system thus becomes extremely stressed. Resulting Cardiovascular Conditions Several important cardiovascular conditions can result from this combination of effects caused by cocaine use. Myocardial Infarction Myocardial infarction (heart attack) is a well-known complication of cocaine use, and can occur with any dose of cocaine, and even in first-time users. Most cocaine-induced heart attacks occur within one hour of using the drug. Cocaine-induced heart attacks are particularly prevalent in younger people. In fact, cocaine use has been implicated in nearly 25% of heart attacks that occur in people under 45. Aortic Dissection Acute aortic dissection—a sudden tearing of the wall of the aorta—is an extremely painful and life-threatening condition. While there are many causes of aortic dissection, in young people cocaine use is a prevalent cause. Coronary Artery Aneurysm Coronary artery aneurysms are balloon-like dilations of coronary arteries. They are fairly common in cocaine users, occurring in about 30% of chronic users. Coronary artery aneurysms are a cause of heart attack. Myocarditis and Cardiomyopathy Cocaine causes myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle. Myocarditis can lead to damage of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). As a result, heart failure may occur. Cardiac Arrhythmias Cocaine can induce a variety of difficult-to-treat cardiac arrhythmias, including the potentially fatal arrhythmias called ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Stroke Due to its effect on blood vessels, blood pressure, and blood clotting, stroke is up to seven times more likely in a cocaine user than a non-user. Treatment Complications In general, the treatment of cocaine-induced cardiovascular problems is similar to the treatment of those same cardiac problems when cocaine use is not a factor. However, cocaine use complicates therapy in a few important ways. Beta Blockers Beta blockers should not be used in patients taking cocaine. Beta blockers are very important for the treatment of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, angina, and heart failure. However, in people who have taken cocaine, beta blockers (which block beta-sympathetic effects of norepinephrine) “uncover” the alpha-sympathetic effects, leading to more constriction of the small arteries, and higher blood pressures. This fact takes a critical treatment tool out of the doctor’s hands when they are dealing with a heart attack. The Use of Beta Blockers Clot-Busting Drugs When treating what appears to be an acute heart attack, the use of clot-busting drugs—drugs that produce fibrinolysis—should generally not be employed in a cocaine-user without first doing a cardiac catheterization. This is because the electrocardiogram (ECG) changes that typically indicate that an acute heart attack is occurring may be seen in cocaine users who are actually not having a heart attack due to a blocked artery. Stents Doctors are reluctant to use stents to treat coronary artery disease in cocaine users because stent thrombosis (clotting off of the stent) is much higher in these people. The bottom line is that, not only are the cardiovascular problems caused by cocaine especially dangerous, they are also especially difficult to treat, even by doctors who are very experienced in dealing with these problems. A Word From Verywell The use of cocaine can place enormous stress on the heart and the vascular system and can lead to several significant cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, because of the multitude of negative effects on human physiology, treatment options are limited in people who have cocaine-induced cardiovascular disorders. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Did you know the most common forms of heart disease are largely preventable? Our guide will show you what puts you at risk, and how to take control of your heart health. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Kozor R, Grieve SM, Buchholz S, et al. Regular cocaine use is associated with increased systolic blood pressure, aortic stiffness and left ventricular mass in young otherwise healthy individuals. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e89710. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089710 Schwartz BG, Rezkalla S, Kloner RA. Cardiovascular effects of cocaine. Circulation. 2010;122(24):2558-69. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.940569 Satran A, Bart BA, Henry CR, et al. Increased prevalence of coronary artery aneurysms among cocaine users. Circulation. 2005;111(19):2424-9. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.0000165121.50527.DE Cheng YC, Ryan KA, Qadwai SA, et al. Cocaine use and risk of ischemic stroke in young adults. Stroke. 2016;47(4):918-22. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.011417 Additional Reading Afonso L, Mohammad T, Thatai D. Crack whips the heart: a review of the cardiovascular toxicity of cocaine. Am J Cardiol. 2007;100(6):1040-1043. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2007.04.049 Dean JH, Woznicki EM, O'Gara P, et al. Cocaine-related aortic dissection: lessons from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection. Am J Med. 2014;127(9):878-885. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.05.005 Maraj S, Figueredo VM, Lynn Morris D. Cocaine and the heart. Clin Cardiol. 2010;33(5):264-269. doi:10.1002/clc.20746 McCord J, Jneid H, Hollander JE, et al. Management of cocaine-associated chest pain and myocardial infarction: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Acute Cardiac Care Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology. Circulation. 2008;117(14):1897-1907. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.188950 Singh V, Rodriguez AP, Thakkar B, et al. Hospital admissions for chest pain associated with cocaine use in the United States. Am J Med. 2017;130(6):688-698. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.12.003