Heart Status Regarding Opium and Psychotropics Use in Corpses Referred to Birjand Legal Medicine Center from 2011 to 2018

Abstract

Background: Coronary artery disease has recently increased from 20 to 45%. Previous studies emphasize a wide range of risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis. The role of inflammatory factors has been proven in the development of coronary artery atherosclerosis. Drugs are effective in coronary artery atherosclerosis by stimulating inflammatory factors. Objectives: This study evaluated the heart status regarding the history of drug and psychotropics use in corpses referred to Birjand Legal Medicine Center from 2011 to 2018. Materiald and Methods: In this case-control study, corpses referred to forensic medicine with a history of substance abuse (case group) and no history of substance abuse (control group) were selected. The data included pathological and toxicological autopsy results. Data analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Of 193 corpses, 126 were in the case group and 67 in the control group. The mean age was 41.82 ± 16.84. The Mann-Whitney test showed that heart weight was significantly higher in cases than in controls (P = 0.018). Mean heart dimensions in the case and control groups were 13 × 10 × 7 and 13 × 9 × 6, respectively, with a significant difference in one dimension (P = 0.014). Coronary artery stenosis results showed mean RC = 52.49, LC = 55.97, CX = 61.84, and LAD = 69.90. There was no significant positive correlation between drug abuse and atherosclerosis (r = 0.119, P = 0.09). Also, a higher prevalence of atherosclerosis was seen in males. Conclusions: Drug use can be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in people with substance abuse by changing the physical characteristics of the heart. Further studies must investigate the effect of drug use on coronary artery disease development and the factors intensifying these effects.