Stimulant use disorder and the likelihood of stroke: Analysis of a national database in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Stimulant use has been associated with an increased risk of stroke, though data on clinical characteristics and exact risk are limited. This retrospective case-control study examines stroke risk in individuals with stimulant use disorder using data from a national U.S.

METHODS: Data was obtained from the 2019 National Readmission Database (NRD) using ICD-10 codes to identify relevant diagnoses. A multivariate logistic regression analyzed the impact of stimulant use disorder on stroke admission odds, adjusting for alcohol use disorder, tobacco use, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, age, insurance status, and median income. Outcomes like total hospitalization charge, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality were assessed with multivariate regression. Gender-specific analyses were also conducted. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: A total of 4,821 adults with stimulant use disorder and stroke were compared to 542,618 stroke patients without stimulant use disorder. Patients with stimulant use disorder (PWSU) had significantly higher odds of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke admissions, especially hemorrhagic strokes in women. PWSU with hemorrhagic strokes also had higher odds of in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Stimulant use disorder is associated with higher odds of admission for stroke, especially in women with an overall elevated mortality from hemorrhagic strokes. These findings underscore the need for further research and emphasize the importance of stroke prevention and treatment in individuals with stimulant use disorder.