Comparative hazards of acute myocardial infarction among hospitalized patients with methamphetamine- or cocaine-use disorders: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: It is assumed that recreational use of methamphetamine can trigger acute myocardial infarction (AMI) events, but estimates of longitudinal hazards of AMI among methamphetamine users are lacking.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study: Competing-risks analysis was used to estimate time-to-AMI patterns in methamphetamine versus matched appendicitis (population-proxy) and matched cocaine (drug-control) groups. Cohorts were propensity-score-matched using demographic and clinical variables.

SETTING: California, 1990-2005.

PARTICIPANTS: Cohorts of individuals with no prior or concurrent history of AMI hospitalized with methamphetamine- (n = 73,056), cocaine- (n = 47,726), or appendicitis-related conditions (n = 330,109).

MEASUREMENTS: ICD-9/ICD-10 indications of AMI (ICD-9 410.X; ICD-10 I21.X) in death records or inpatient hospital data.

RESULTS: Patients in methamphetamine cohort were more likely to develop subsequent AMI in comparison to those in matched appendicitis cohort [Hazard ratio (HR): 1.41; 95% CI, 1.23-1.62, p < 0.0001], with increased risk most marked in young methamphetamine users (age 15-34 years; HR: 2.04; 95% CI, 1.63-2.57, p = 0. 0001). Risk was slightly increased vs. that in matched cocaine group (HR: 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39, p = 0. 029). Individuals in cocaine cohort were also more likely to experience AMI outcome vs. appendicitis cohort (HR: 1.25; 95% CI, 1.08-1.45, p = 0. 0023).

CONCLUSION: Our longitudinal data support results of earlier epidemiological studies suggesting that persons with methamphetamine- (or cocaine-) use disorders might have increased AMI risk. However, because of potential study limitations and the unexpectedly modest magnitude of the observed increased AMI hazard, these findings must be considered preliminary and require replication.