Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Atherosclerosis in Children and Young Adults

To the Editor: We commend Berenson et al. (June 4 issue) 1 for identifying risk factors associated with the development of atherosclerosis in young people. However, we are concerned that the failure to include cocaine as a risk factor for atherosclerosis may have resulted in an overestimation of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe New England journal of medicine Vol. 339; no. 15; pp. 1083 - 1084
Main Authors Perrone, J, Hollander, J E, De Roos, F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Massachusetts Medical Society 08.10.1998
Subjects
Adult
Arteriosclerosis - epidemiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology
Child
Cocaine
Humans
Multivariate Analysis
Risk Factors
Substance-Related Disorders - complications
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Summary:To the Editor: We commend Berenson et al. (June 4 issue) 1 for identifying risk factors associated with the development of atherosclerosis in young people. However, we are concerned that the failure to include cocaine as a risk factor for atherosclerosis may have resulted in an overestimation of the contribution of other risk factors. The vast majority of persons studied were victims of homicide and accidents. Several investigations have demonstrated a link between victims of trauma and cocaine use. Cocaine metabolites have been identified in up to 31 percent of homicide victims and 25 percent of persons arrested for reckless driving. . . .
ISSN:0028-4793
1533-4406
DOI:10.1056/NEJM199810083391514