Cocaine is a drug derived from the coca scrub leaf, a plant found in regions of South America. Its use through snorting, injection or smoking can provide immediately pleasant sensations and effective pain relief, but its long-term effects can be devastating. Highly addictive, cocaine causes multiple physical problems, including increasing the risk of stroke and producing flu-like symptoms with prolonged use.

A new study recently published in the medical journal Heart reveals that cocaine users may also experience an effect of the drug that does not reveal itself with symptoms. Heart damage was documented by researchers in a group of cocaine users that was not evident through any symptoms experienced by the participants.

With more than 6 million cocaine users in the United States, the study's results present a significant public health problem. Cocaine is the mostly commonly used illegal drug.

The authors of the study examined 30 long-term cocaine users who were enrolled in a residential drug rehabilitation program. The goal was to determine whether there was any evidence linking long-term cocaine use to heart damage in those users who had no history of heart disease and had not exhibited symptoms of heart problems.

The participants involved had all used cocaine approximately 48 hours before beginning the examination provided by the researchers. The average age of the individuals involved was 37 years and they suffered additional problems generally related to drug use. Approximately one-fifth of the participants were HIV-positive or were infected with hepatitis C.

Sixteen of the participant also had a history of the use of other drugs, including heroin, opioids and alcohol. Each reported the use of approximately 5.5 grams of cocaine each day and the average length of use was 12 years.

The participants were given a series of tests to determine whether any abnormalities existed in their heart structure and function. The examination included CMR, exercise stress tests and the monitoring of electrical activity for a period of 24 hours.

The researchers found that in all participants the heart function was normal. However, examination of 12 of the participants revealed localized abnormalities and 83 percent showed structural damage. 47 percent of the participants exhibited problems with edema in the left ventricle, with results showing that there was a relationship between the amount of cocaine consumed and the severity of the edema.

In addition, magnetic resonance imaging showed that 73 percent of participants had fibrosis, which may have been caused by a silent heart attack or by toxic damage.