American Heart Association reports Autopsies reveal how Meth hurts the Heart
September 13, 2019
Boston, MA – Use of the illegal stimulant methamphetamine causes build-up of tough protein fibers in heart muscle, which may help explain the development of enlarged hearts and heart failure in users, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2019 Scientific Sessions.
Methamphetamine, also known as meth, is an extremely addictive and commonly abused stimulant drug, with 1.6 million Americans reporting using the drug in 2017.
Autopsy samples reveal that methamphetamine use makes dangerous structural changes in heart muscle that increase the risk of heart attack, sudden cardiac death and heart failure. (American Heart Association)
Studying Heart Disease after Death can help the Living
July 11, 2018
American Heart Association
Dallas, TX – Autopsy is often an overlooked source of medical insight which may be hindering advances in cardiovascular medicine, according to new research published in a special issue of the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.
“Autopsy is a source of discovery that informs the way we think about disease systemically,” said Jeffrey E. Saffitz, M.D., Ph.D., co-editor of the special issue and chair of the department of pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.”
Several papers in a special issue of Circulation offer insight into how autopsy contributes to answers about the causes of sudden cardiac death, information from implantable device to improve heart function, and identifying the original cause of atherosclerosis. (American Heart Association)
