Ecstasy and heart disease
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly referred to as Ecstasy, is a widely abused, psychoactive recreational drug
- MDMAs neurotoxic to serotonergic neurons in vivo, and induces programmed cell death in cultured human serotonergic cells and rat neocortical neurons
- effects of MDMA on the cardiovascular system include:
- tachycardia and hypertension
- sudden onset cardiac arrhythmia including atrial fibrillation
- strokes have been implicated as due to ecstasy use
- to date there is no evidence that regular ecstasy use leads to coronary artery disease or atheroma in the peripheral circulation
Reference:
- British Heart Foundation (Factfile 6/2003). Illicit Drugs And The Heart.
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