Media Release
From: New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA)Key points
- Methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy (MAC) is a growing and major health and societal problem in New Zealand due to the adverse effects of methamphetamine on the heart
- MAC patients are of young age, male sex, predominantly of Maori ethnicity, and are of high socioeconomic deprivation
- MAC patients presented more acutely unwell to hospital with significant left ventricular dilation and dysfunction compared to other patients with other cardiomyopathies
- MAC patients had very poor prognosis with extremely high rates of mortality and heart failure readmissions after index hospitalization discharge
Summary
Methamphetamine use is a growing major health and societal problem. The adverse effects of methamphetamine on the heart are not well recognised or understood. Chronic use of methamphetamine can cause serious damage to the heart resulting in heart failure. Patients with heart failure due to chronic use of methamphetamine have poor prognosis compared to other patients with heart failure due to other causes. This group of patients with heart failure and chronic use of methamphetamine are of young age, male sex, predominantly of Māori ethnicity, and are of high socioeconomic deprivation. Understanding the reasons for the ethnic and demographic differences, as well as addressing the modifiable risk factors such as methamphetamine abstinence, adherence to medications and appointment attendance are critical to preventing and improving outcomes in this condition.
