Co-morbid health conditions at mid-life in the Iowa adoptees

Associations between duration of illicit drug use and health conditions: results from the 2005-2007 national surveys on drug use and health

PURPOSE

To estimate and compare prevalence rates of lifetime health conditions by inferred duration of illicit drug use among the general U.S. adult population and to investigate associations between duration of use of each specific illicit drug (marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, or inhalant) and each lifetime health condition after controlling for potential confounding factors.

METHODS

Data from respondents aged 35 to 49 (N = 29,195) from the 2005-2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were analyzed.

RESULTS

The prevalence rates of a broad range of health conditions by duration of use of specific illicit drug among persons 35 to 49 years of age in the United States were estimated and compared. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the results of 20 multivariate logistic regression models indicated positive associations between duration of marijuana use and anxiety, depression, sexually transmitted disease (STD), bronchitis, and lung cancer; between duration of cocaine use and anxiety and pancreatitis; between duration of heroin use and anxiety, hepatitis, and tuberculosis; between duration of hallucinogen use and tinnitus and STD; and between duration of inhalant use and anxiety, depression, HIV/AIDS, STD, tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, and tinnitus.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides initial analyses on the relationships between illicit drug use and health conditions based on a large nationally representative sample. These results can help prepare for treating health problems among former and continuing illicit drug users.

Lifetime substance misuse and 5-year incidence rates of emergent health problems among middle-aged adults

Understanding the impact of prior substance misuse on emergent health problems is important to the implementation of effective preventive care. This study examined the 5-year incidence rates using a sample of middle-aged adult adoptees (N = 309, mean(age) = 44.32, standard deviation(age) = 7.28). Subjects reported on health problems at two waves of study. DSM-IV diagnoses of substance misuse were obtained using a semi-structured diagnostic interview. Finally, health services utilization and perceived health status were collected. Lifetime diagnoses of marijuana and other non-marijuana substance misuse significantly predicted new occurrences of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Alcohol misuse predicted earlier onset of cardiovascular disease among men. Marijuana and other non-marijuana drugs predicted earlier onset of cardiovascular disease for men and women. Finally, marijuana and other non-marijuana drugs predicted earlier onset of metabolic disease among men. Substance misuse did not predict health services utilization despite higher rates of disease. These findings emphasize the need to assess lifetime substance misuse when evaluating health risks associated with use.