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Ecstasy and heart disease

Authoring team

  • 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly referred to as Ecstasy, is a widely abused, psychoactive recreational drug
  • MDMAs neurotoxic to serotonergic neurons in vivo, and induces programmed cell death in cultured human serotonergic cells and rat neocortical neurons
  • effects of MDMA on the cardiovascular system include:
    • tachycardia and hypertension
    • sudden onset cardiac arrhythmia including atrial fibrillation
    • strokes have been implicated as due to ecstasy use
    • to date there is no evidence that regular ecstasy use leads to coronary artery disease or atheroma in the peripheral circulation

Reference:

  1. British Heart Foundation (Factfile 6/2003). Illicit Drugs And The Heart.

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