Drinking, drugs, smoking linked to early heart disease

Information now may help young adults make smarter life choices

Do you remember when you were in your 20s? If you were like most, you felt young and invincible. Leap tall buildings in a single bound? No problem, right?

For many, their 20s are a time of experimentation and pushing boundaries, both mentally and physically.

But a recent study of over a million people is warning young adults to take it easy, because the cost later on can be quite steep.

According to a study published in the journal Heart, young adults are up to nine times more likely to develop premature heart disease if they regularly take drugs, smoke and drink.

The study examined participants’ intake of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes with their rates of heart attacks and strokes, and found the higher the number of substances used recreationally, the greater the risk of premature heart disease, the Daily Mail reports.

The risks could be seen specifically by substance, the study notes.

Cocaine users were 2.5 times as likely to have premature heart disease, while amphetamine users were nearly three times as likely.

Cannabis users were more than 2.5 times likely, while smokers were twice as likely to suffer premature heart disease. For drinkers, it was 50 percent, the Daily Mail reports.

Dr. Anthony Wayne Orr of Louisiana State University made an interesting point: “We are only young once, and we should do everything in our power to maintain that state as long as we can,” Science Daily reports.

And that goes back to the problem of youth.

When one is young, one feels invincible. Drink all the drinks, smoke all the smokes – nothing can stop a 21-year-old. And many of us remember those days. We either walked that path, or we knew plenty of people who did.

But as in every other scenario in life, actions have consequences. One tends to think of the risk of too much alcohol or drugs as a potential overdose, or a hangover, or a poor decision that leads, worse-case scenario, to something potentially deadly like a car accident. But those are short-term, “in the moment” risks.

Long term, we know that substance abuse takes a toll on one’s body. And here’s the evidence to see the risk to the heart.

It’s a risk most young adults are likely unaware of, but they should be. It’s the type of information that might make a difference, leading them to make smarter decisions to benefit them both now and in the future.