Predictors of cardiovascular response to smoked cocaine in humans.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of heart rate and blood pressure changes following cocaine administration. Sixty-two smoked cocaine users received a single 0.4 mg/kg dose of smoked cocaine. Male sex, African American race, higher body weight and current marijuana use predicted a greater cardiovascular response to cocaine. In contrast, higher baseline blood pressure, heart rate, amount and frequency of current cocaine use and presence of current cocaine snorting predicted a diminished cardiovascular response to cocaine. Whether these predictors of the cardiovascular response to smoked cocaine in the laboratory also predict cardiovascular complications from long-term cocaine use needs to be studied further.