Predictors of cardiovascular response to smoked cocaine in humans

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of heart rate and b lood pressure changes following cocaine administration. Sixty-two smoked co caine users received a single 0.4 mg/kg dose of smoked cocaine. Male sex, A frican-American race, higher body weight and current marijuana use predicte d a greater cardiovascular response to cocaine. In contrast, higher baselin e blood pressure, heart rate, amount and frequency of current cocaine use a nd presence of current cocaine snorting predicted a diminished cardiovascul ar response to cocaine. Whether these predictors of the cardiovascular resp onse to smoked cocaine in the laboratory also predict cardiovascular compli cations from long-term cocaine use needs to be studied further. (C) 2000 El sevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.