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Ladewig · 8th August 2009, 08:28 PM

This CNN story says

Quote:

Cocaine is a stimulant that can raise blood pressure and thicken the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, one of the organ's four main pumping chambers

Why does this drug have a more noticeable effect on the left ventricle? I tried Googling but did not understand what came up.

a_unique_person · 8th August 2009, 10:00 PM

I'll have a go at it, just to see how right or wrong I get it, not because I know.

The left ventrical does the main job of pumping blood around the body, so when it is continually overexerted due to cocaine abuse, the walls of the heart thicken abnormally. In response to normal exercise, this is a good thing, it only occurs to the exent that is necessary to meet the demands of the body. When it is due to cocaine abuse, it is a bad thing, since it is constant and creates a heart wall that is too thick to do the job properly.

Mcguman · 24th August 2009, 04:45 PM

If you don't find any research on the subject you could just round up some cocaine addicts and run some diagnostic tests (Biopsy, MRI, CAT scan etc.) they'll do anything for their next fix.

Stacy Head · 24th August 2009, 05:41 PM

Left ventricular thickening aka ventricular hypertrophy (hyper=too much trophy=growth) is related to 2 general mechanisms. 1)The need to generate a higher pressure either due to heart blockage (ie stenosis) or high blood pressure. The body generates muscle growth to keep up with the high demand. 2) Genetics-the condition is hereditary.

Chronic cocaine use increases heart rate, blood pressure and respirations, all of which are taxing to the heart muscle if maintained over long periods of time. The resultant is a thickened ventricle. Having worked on the Cardiac Transplant Team at St Thomas Hospital, we frequently saw patients as young as 19 who had experienced heart attacks caused from cocaine useage. Sometimes the patients had aortic stenosis (leads to ventricular thickening) sometimes LAD artery blockage (aka The Widowmaker) others had various other conditions resulting in the lethal arrythmia ventricular fibrillation. Some people are unaware they have arrythmias like atrial fibrillation or the occasional premature ventricular contraction. Atrial fibrillation sometimes results in a rapid ventricular response.

Breaking it down, the left ventricle is where the blood exits, it is the final push into the aorta. By teenage and adult ages, its walls have thickened to three to six times greater than that of the right ventricle. This reflects the typical five times greater pressure workload this chamber performs while accepting blood returning from the pulmonary veins at ~80mmHg pressure and pushing it forward to the typical ~120mmHg pressure in the aorta during each heartbeat.

Either way cocaine useage is very taxing on the left ventricle. Imagine trying to pump blood through a 1/4" round tube at a steady rate. Increase this rate and in order to keep up the ventricle will expand and thicken. The vascular system is a closed system.

This is as layman as I can break it down.

Jeff Corey · 24th August 2009, 05:58 PM

Remember Len Bias?

Cainkane1 · 24th August 2009, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by Ladewig

This CNN story says

Why does this drug have a more noticeable effect on the left ventricle? I tried Googling but did not understand what came up.

I used to know a cocaine smoker at work back in the late 70's until the late 80's and he's still alive. He had high blood pressure already and its a miracle he's still around. He lost everything else. His job, his wife, his son etc. He's still alive though.

8th August 2009, 08:28 PM	#1
Ladewig Hipster alien Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: not measurable Posts: 16,944	What are the effects of cocaine on the left ventricle? This CNN story says Quote: Cocaine is a stimulant that can raise blood pressure and thicken the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, one of the organ's four main pumping chambers Why does this drug have a more noticeable effect on the left ventricle? I tried Googling but did not understand what came up.
	__________________ Is the JREF message board training wheels for people who hope to one day troll other message boards? It is not that hard to get us to believe you. We are not the major leagues or even the minor leagues. We are Pee-Wee baseball. If you love striking out 10-year-olds, then you'll love trolling our board.

8th August 2009, 10:00 PM	#2
a_unique_person Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Mt Disappointment Posts: 33,466	I'll have a go at it, just to see how right or wrong I get it, not because I know. The left ventrical does the main job of pumping blood around the body, so when it is continually overexerted due to cocaine abuse, the walls of the heart thicken abnormally. In response to normal exercise, this is a good thing, it only occurs to the exent that is necessary to meet the demands of the body. When it is due to cocaine abuse, it is a bad thing, since it is constant and creates a heart wall that is too thick to do the job properly.
	__________________ *Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity.* Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. For if a man pretend to me that God hath spoken to him supernaturally, and immediately, and I make doubt of it, I cannot easily perceive what argument he can produce to oblige me to believe it. Hobbes

24th August 2009, 04:45 PM	#3
Mcguman New Blood Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 11	If you don't find any research on the subject you could just round up some cocaine addicts and run some diagnostic tests (Biopsy, MRI, CAT scan etc.) they'll do anything for their next fix.
Mcguman New Blood Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 11

24th August 2009, 05:41 PM	#4
Stacy Head Scholar Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 82	Left ventricular thickening aka ventricular hypertrophy (hyper=too much trophy=growth) is related to 2 general mechanisms. 1)The need to generate a higher pressure either due to heart blockage (ie stenosis) or high blood pressure. The body generates muscle growth to keep up with the high demand. 2) Genetics-the condition is hereditary. Chronic cocaine use increases heart rate, blood pressure and respirations, all of which are taxing to the heart muscle if maintained over long periods of time. The resultant is a thickened ventricle. Having worked on the Cardiac Transplant Team at St Thomas Hospital, we frequently saw patients as young as 19 who had experienced heart attacks caused from cocaine useage. Sometimes the patients had aortic stenosis (leads to ventricular thickening) sometimes LAD artery blockage (aka The Widowmaker) others had various other conditions resulting in the lethal arrythmia ventricular fibrillation. Some people are unaware they have arrythmias like atrial fibrillation or the occasional premature ventricular contraction. Atrial fibrillation sometimes results in a rapid ventricular response. Breaking it down, the left ventricle is where the blood exits, it is the final push into the aorta. By teenage and adult ages, its walls have thickened to three to six times greater than that of the right ventricle. This reflects the typical five times greater pressure workload this chamber performs while accepting blood returning from the pulmonary veins at ~80mmHg pressure and pushing it forward to the typical ~120mmHg pressure in the aorta during each heartbeat. Either way cocaine useage is very taxing on the left ventricle. Imagine trying to pump blood through a 1/4" round tube at a steady rate. Increase this rate and in order to keep up the ventricle will expand and thicken. The vascular system is a closed system. This is as layman as I can break it down.
Stacy Head Scholar Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 82	__________________ I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don’t have as many people who believe it *George Carlin*

24th August 2009, 06:01 PM	#6
Cainkane1 Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: The great American southeast Posts: 7,239	Originally Posted by Ladewig This CNN story says Why does this drug have a more noticeable effect on the left ventricle? I tried Googling but did not understand what came up. I used to know a cocaine smoker at work back in the late 70's until the late 80's and he's still alive. He had high blood pressure already and its a miracle he's still around. He lost everything else. His job, his wife, his son etc. He's still alive though.
	__________________ If at first you don't succeed try try again. Then if you fail to succeed to Hell with that. Try something else.

24th August 2009, 05:58 PM	#5
Jeff Corey New York Skeptic Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 13,797	Remember Len Bias?