Substance use and the insidious rise of cardiovascular disease in young people in Africa

A call to action

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the world’s topmost causes of morbidity and mortality.
The rising tide of non-communicable disease in Africa especially among young people might be secondary to a concurrent rise in substance use among this group. Studies addressing cardiovascular complications like arrythmias, angina and heart failure among African youth abusing substances are severely lacking. This is worsened by the absence of adequate surveillance systems, sensitization on cardiovascular effects from substance use and poor funding to address this issue. Researchers globally, have begun to find associations between substance use and early onset of cardiovascular disease especially in young people without comorbidities but the mechanisms of action are inconclusive. This paper explores a relationship between substance youth and cardiovascular diseases in African Youth and describes associated disease mechanism for commonly abused substances. We argue that cardiovascular diseases owing to substance use is an overlooked problem which might prevent Africa from reaching its WHO Global Action Plan of reducing premature cardiovascular disease mortality by 25 percent by 2025. Solutions proffered include funding African biomedical scientists to uncover the pathways through which illicit drugs cause cardiovascular diseases and to identify therapeutic endpoints. Furthermore, sustained campaigns to discourage substance use and enlighten youth on long- term cardiovascular implications of abuse will go a long way. There is an urgent need for policies that address the root causes of substance abuse prevalence among young people on the continent and more importantly address emerging cardiovascular effects of substance abuse.