Psychotropic drugs can inflate the heart muscles, says Doctors

Last month the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) stated that Bengaluru has become the hotspot for drug cartels in South India. While the police are at their job the city-based doctors opine that certain psychotropic drugs can cause inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) that ultimately leads to the weakening of the heart muscles.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr. Pradeep Kumar D, Sr. Consultant - Interventional Cardiology, Aster CMI Hospital said," Cocaine is one of the most prominent drugs which is known to cause myocardial infarction. Many times drugs are consumed with alcohol which is a well-known agent to cause weakening of the heart muscle or cardiomyopathy."

Though he stated that there was no significant increase in cases of cardiomyopathy during the lockdown the reasons for drug addiction may be more in psychiatric illnesses.

"It is unclear till now whether people with psychiatric illnesses on drugs will have more cardiac involvement but in order to restrict drug abuse among individuals we need to improve public awareness and the government needs to lay down strict control over the narcotics trade. Furthermore, to prevent our youth from consuming drugs parents are required to have more control over their children and should keep an eye out on their day to day activities," he said.

Dr Jagadish Hiremath CEO Ace Suhas Hospital observed that during the lockdown everyday seems to be a holiday and it seemed that the need for this generation to have fun could only be met if they are in a different state of mind.

"Cocaine and amphetamine have been associated with non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedama and dilated cardiomyopathy. People generally keep taking any sort of stimulant on a weekend or once a month when they have enough and more time to spend for their hangover. The lockdown seems to have impacted the youth to such an extent that clinical depression has surfaced like dead fish in the sea . The availability of these drugs in urban set ups is so very accessible that teens know various levels of one particular drug," he said.