Impact of lifetime opioid exposure on arterial stiffness and vascular age: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in men and women.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To characterise and compare the potentiation of arterial stiffness and vascular ageing by opioids in men and women.

Design

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of 576 clinical controls and 687 opioid-dependent patients (ODP) on 710 and 1305 occasions, respectively, over a total of 2382 days (6.52 years), 2006-2011. Methodology Radial pulse wave analysis with Atcor SphygmoCor system (Sydney).

Setting

Primary care.

Participants

Controls

General practice patients with non-cardiovascular disorders, and university student controls. ODP: Patients undergoing clinical management of their opioid dependence. CONTROLS had lower chronological ages (CAs) than ODP (30.0±0.5 vs 34.5±0.3, mean±SEM, p<0.0001). 69.6% and 67.7% participants were men, and 16%

SUBMITTER: Reece AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4054659 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature