Try not to be apoplectic, but your favorite recreational drugs may be setting you up for a stroke.
That’s according to the latest party-pooping science, which, if we’re to be blunt, doesn’t bode well. In a new review of medical data from more than 100 million people, a team of researchers found that recreational drugs — even ones you may think of as mild —can more than double a person’s risk of stroke.
The odds vary significantly by substance, but none of the findings are encouraging. Amphetamine users were at a 122 higher risk for stroke, and a 96 percent higher risk for cocaine users, researchers report in the study published in the International Journal of Stroke and highlighted by The Guardian.
Even potheads come out looking worse for wear, with cannabis linked to a 37 percent higher stroke risk, the study found.
“Illicit drug use is a preventable stroke risk, but I don’t know if young people are aware how high the risk is,” study lead author Megan Ritson, a research associate at the University of Cambridge, told The Guardian. “This is the first finding that has shown how different substance use disorders really can impact stroke risk.”
A stroke happens when the flow of blood to the brain becomes blocked. This could be from a clot in the blood vessels, or the vessels themselves could burst. Without the brain tissue receiving the oxygen and nutrients they immediately need, the cells begin to die within minutes. These often sudden episodes are the third leading cause of death and disability across the globe.
In the Journal of Stroke study, researchers established a correlation between drug use and strokes after examining the medical data from over 100 million people. But to establish a stronger link and see if drugs were the cause and not other lifestyle factors that could be associated with drug use, they also used a technique called Mendelian randomization to see if people who were genetically prone to a drug disorder were also more likely to suffer a stroke. Because it turned out they were, the researchers argue this provides stronger evidence that drugs themselves are causing a greater stroke risk.
Strikingly, when the researchers focused on drug users under 55 years old, they found amphetamine tripled their stroke risk, and cocaine increased it by 97 percent. Cannabis, meanwhile, increased risk by 14 percent.
It all goes back to the blood stream, the researchers argue. Amphetamines can raise blood pressure and constrict blood vessels in the brain, per The Guardian. Cocaine can accelerate the build up of cholesterol in the arteries. Cannabis can constrict blood vessels, and some research suggests it may drive blood clotting.
“These substances put a person’s cardiovascular system under huge amounts of stress which can lead to increased blood clotting, narrowing of blood vessels and damage to the circulatory system — all of which can lead to stroke,” Juliet Bouverie, head of the Stroke Association, told The Guardian. “Regular use of cocaine can also lead to high blood pressure, which is the cause of around half of all strokes.”
Still, this shouldn’t be treated as a buyer’s guide on what drugs to take (though the healthiest option would be to take none). In the study, the researchers found no statistically significant link between using opioids and stroke risk. Opioids, of course, are notoriously addictive and were involved in nearly 80,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2023. And overall, the study doesn’t established a definitive cause and effect — though it might give you pause the next time you decide to have a fun outing.
More on drugs: Government Handing Out Cash Bonuses to Drug Researchers Who Rush Through Regulatory Approvals