Effect of Drugs on Heart

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Andrew Michaud Biology LAB Effects of drugs on the heart essay The circulatory system, which is also known as the cardiovascular system, is a specific organ system which allows blood and nutrients in the body to be circulated and transported to other parts of the body. The cardiovascular system is very complex and can be affected by a variety of factors. According to research, a connection has been found between the use of numerous drugs, and their effects on heart rate. I researched the effects of cocaine, heroin, and nicotine on the heart rate. Cocaine is a stimulant, and its affects appear almost immediately after consumption. Cocaine usually makes the user experience euphoria, a sense of energy, talkativeness, and makes them feel mentally alert. Besides the short-term effects of the drug stated above, cocaine is associated with a variety of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, and can cause extreme chest pain. When cocaine is consumed, the heart rate and blood pressure increase. Dailymail.co.uk refers to cocaine as the ‘perfect heart attack’ and found that recreational cocaine users have higher blood pressure, smaller arteries, and thicker heart muscles. In conclusion, cocaine generally speeds up the heart rate intensely and can cause a plethora of problems with the circulatory system. Heroin is a depressant drug, derived from the drug morphine, which is an opiate derivative of poppies. It is known as an extremely dangerous drug since it can cause overdose fairly easy. The overdose is usually caused by the slowing of the function of the lungs, which depresses heart rate until it eventually stops beating. The heart of a heroin user intakes a lot of damage. Bacteria from the drug can often attack the heart tissues, and cause endocardia, which is dead tissues. Autopsies of heroin addicts show that many heroin users suffer from

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