Our analysis suggests that it is these drugs themselves that increase the risk of stroke, not just other lifestyle factors among users —Eric Harshfield
The recreational drugs cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines significantly increase the risk of stroke – including among younger users – Cambridge researchers have concluded after analysing data from more than 100 million people.
I wonder if the people who are using drugs are also experiencing higher than ‘normal’ stress levels which could play a factor? I.e. more stressed people would use more drugs?
My long-term study with a single participant says yes.
Right at the beginning of the article:
“Our analysis suggests that it is these drugs themselves that increase the risk of stroke, not just other lifestyle factors among users.”
Followed by…
There is increasing evidence that these drugs may increase the risk of stroke, but the evidence is often of differing quality and is observational only, meaning it is impossible to say whether the use of these drugs itself increases the risk of stroke, or whether this is purely a correlation.
Followed by:
“To investigate this further, a team from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge first carried out a meta-analysis of studies encompassing more than 100 million people. (…) This approach allows researchers to bring together studies which, on their own may not provide sufficient evidence and sometimes disagree with each other, to provide more robust conclusions.”
“Bringing together disparate studies” and “conducting a meta-analysis” means they fed an AI the studies and asked for commonalities, I guarantee it.
Unless a peer publishes a supporting paper or another reremovedble researcher or journal picks this up, I’m just not convinced there’s anything here.