Heart disease and substance abuse: chronic and life-threatening diseases.

Most people are surprised to learn that there are many similarities between heart disease and substance abuse. Heart disease develops due to both genetic and environmental factors. A genetic disposition to heart disease is based on one's family history of heart disease. Other risk factors that can't be changed include increasing age and gender. Four out of five people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older; men have a greater risk of a heart attack than women do, and they have attacks earlier in life. Yet there are a number of lifestyle changes that can be made to reduce the risk for heart disease such as stopping smoking, losing weight, exercising more, and taking prescribed medications. Stress and drinking too much alcohol can also contribute to increasing one's risk for heart disease.

Substance abuse, a generic term often used to describe addictive disorders, also develops due to both genetic and environmental factors. Children growing up in families where one parent has a substance abuse problem are four to five times more likely to develop a substance abuse problem than children in families without a family history of substance abuse. Innovative researchers looked at children adopted out at birth, who had at least one biological parent with an alcohol disorder. These children were raised in families in which neither parent had a substance abuse problem. When compared to other children, those children still were two to three times more likely to develop a substance abuse problem.

Environmental factors can greatly contribute to developing substance abuse problems. Exposure to trauma, such as physical and sexual abuse, increases one's risk of developing a drug or alcohol problem. Having a psychiatric disorder increases one's risk. Having friends who use drugs is another obvious risk factor. Children, who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, particularly during early adolescence, are at greater risk of developing more serious alcohol problems and moving on to illicit drug use.

Much has been said about the beneficial aspects of drinking alcohol, particularly red wine, in reducing one's risk for heart disease. That may be true for people limiting themselves to one to two glasses of wine with dinner, but it is not true for people who drink heavily. One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor. Very often people have many more drinks than they realize. Filling a 16-ounce glass halfway with vodka is eight drinks, not one, no matter what mixer you use! People consuming five or more drinks a day are four times as likely to have a stroke than those who do not drink. Chronic alcohol abuse is the single most important cause of illness and death from liver disease. Sixty-five percent of pancreatitis cases are alcohol-related. Having 3 to 4 drinks per day increases your risk for hypertension 50% compared to nondrinkers, while consuming 6 to 7 drinks a day increases the risk by 100%. Stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, can also adversely affect the heart, by causing rapid and irregular heartbeats, heart attacks and strokes.

Both heart disease and substance abuse are chronic diseases. They can be treated and managed, but not cured. Brain scans have revealed that the brain is functionally changed as a result on long-term substance use. That may explain why people addicted to substances can never go back to occasional use. Compliance rates with treatment protocols are similar for diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and substance abuse.

Treatment for substance abuse and heart disease is similar in many respects. They both require significant lifestyle changes and a long-term commitment. A person with heart disease may need to change their diet, lose weight, stop smoking, exercise, see the doctor regularly, and take prescribed medications. Similarly, a person recovering from a substance abuse disorder may identify how to manage cravings to use, learn other ways of coping, address long-standing issues, take medications, attend treatment programs and/or self-help meetings and make new friends. Research shows that people with substance abuse problems have the best results if they can maintain these initial changes through involvement in treatment and recovery activities for nine to twelve months. Treatment for less than 90 days usually results in limited long-term gains. Lifestyle and habit changes take a long time to become a routine part of one's life. This is true for cardiac rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment.

While prevention is the best cure, it is important to realize that treatment is available and effective for both heart disease and substance abuse. People often wait too long to address both diseases, but it is never too late to make changes in one's life and lifestyle. The first step is to talk about the problem and make concrete plans to change. These lifestyle changes require the support of family, friends, and treatment professionals. These changes are not easy, but the consequences of doing nothing are dire, and may even result in death.

This article was provided by Tarzana Treatment Centers. For further information or a free assessment, please contact Ken Bachrach Ph.D., Clinical Director for Tarzana Treatment Centers. His e-mail address is [e-mail]. If you would like to discuss the contents of this article in further detail, or learn about the ways in which Tarzana Treatment Centers can assist you, please call our Customer Service Department at [phone] or visit www.tarzanatc.org.