“Methamphetamine use adds complexity to the already-challenging care of adults who have multiple chronic conditions. Integrated interventions that can address the multiple conditions people are living with, along with associated social risks, are needed for this population,” said Han, who is a CDUHR researcher.

Researchers used the data from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, and found that,

• People who used methamphetamine possessed nearly twice the odds to develop multiple chronic medical conditions and thrice the odds to develop a mental illness than who did not use it.

• Methamphetamine users were also four times as likely to have a substance use disorder . It is highlighted that the users of this drug pose a higher likelihood of developing substance use disorders than any other drug considered for the study such as heroin, prescription stimulants, prescription opioids, cocaine, and sedatives.

• Many users had a concurrent prevalence of a combination of medical, mental, and substance use issues .

• Higher prevalence of liver diseases, lung diseases, and HIV/AIDS were associated with the use of methamphetamine.

“Our results certainly do not suggest that meth use causes most of these conditions, but they should inform clinicians that this population is at risk. Future studies are needed to determine how dose and frequency of use relate to these conditions–for instance, occasional use on a night out versus chronic use that can lead to a host of adverse effects on the body,” said study author Joseph Palamar, Ph.D., an associate professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a CDUHR researcher.

Source: Medindia