Speed Still Kills In Texas
30393
Disease & Illness
May 9, 2007
precremix
Speed Still Kills In Texas
A 2007 study, conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, provides researchers with additional evidence of a correlation between frequent amphetamine and cocaine usage among young individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas and the occurrence of strokes. The study looked at patients from ages 18 to 44, and then determined who had had strokes and what their risk factors were. The study doesn't show the mechanism, but it found an association between amphetamine usage and strokes. Amphetamines and cocaine go straight into an individual's blood stream, increasing his or her blood pressure and heart rate. There were recent animal studies which showed that, when these drugs were taken intravenously, there was an inflammation of blood vessels in animals' brains. Hemorrhagic strokes result from the bleeding of tissue into the brain when a blood vessel bursts. Jane Maxwell, a research scientist at the UT School of Social Work, has been researching similar topics for the past 30 years and said these findings were similar to her own. "I look at the death certificates of everybody in the state of Texas where cocaine is mentioned, and most of their deaths have to do with strokes and heart attacks," she said. The average age of victims in cases where cocaine is found in the body is 40, and the average age of victims in whose bodies amphetamines are found is 38, Maxwell said. "Looking at drug use among college students, about 9 percent of college students have used cocaine. Four percent have used in the past year and 1 percent in the last month. The number of cocaine users in Texas is pretty comparable to the national average," Maxwell said. According to surveys conducted by University Health Services in the spring of 2006, the level of cocaine and amphetamine use at the University is about equal to the national rate. Those particular drugs, methamphetamine and cocaine, versus the percentage that UT students report, is very low. One percent of men and 2 percent of women reported cocaine use in the last 30 days. Amphetamines include speed, Adderall and Ritalin, the only drugs for which there is a reported increase in use. About 4 percent of students said they used them unprescribed. A lot more women than men acknowledge using those drugs, the survey said. Students tend to use Adderall and Ritalin as diet pills. People might also use the diet supplements to stay awake, to party longer or study longer. The numbers in amphetamine and cocaine use don't change much from year to year, but if there is an increase, it is expected to be with drugs like Adderall and Ritalin. UT Southwestern Medical Center's study also showed that amphetamine abuse included both methamphetamines and the frequent abuse of prescription stimulants. Researchers noted that they would advise students using even these prescription drugs that there is a definite potential risk. What you put in your body when you're young will certainly affect your health when you get older. Eventually, it will also affect your wallet.
Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com
send email to precremix
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
For many self-employed individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas, health insurance is the last thing they can afford. Those who work for themselves often say, "I can't afford to get sick. Period." The term "sick days" isn't even something that
Category:
2. Hillary Aims To Please This Time: Ms. Clinton's New Health Care Plan Promises Coverage for All Texan
So she finally did it. She finally told us what was on her mind. This Monday, Hillary Rodham Clinton revealed the bare bones of her proposed healthcare plan, The American Health Choices Plan, in Iowa. In her speech, she clearly attempted to avoid the flaw
Category:
Diana, a young mother in Dallas, was devastated when she discovered her four-year-old son had asthma. She kept thinking she could have done something - maybe even while she was pregnant - to have prevented it. "I've heard drinking cow's milk and eating eg
Category:
The Texas Hospital Association (THA) is urging lawmakers in Dallas, Houston and throughout the rest of the state to take the right steps to make health insurance more affordable and accessible to individuals in Texas. The state ranks first in the country
Category:
You've got one, you use it all the time and it's become an integral part of your life. You are a call-a-holic, as some individuals in Dallas, Houston, Austin and elsewhere in signal-free parts of Texas might tag you.
Category:
Aromatherapy, like many other natural treatments, is growing more powerful in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas. Once thought of as just so many pretty scents, the populace is becoming more aware of how powerful this therapy can be in changing mood, re
Category:
Imagine soaring down a road in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas at 70+ mph while lying on your back, just inches from the asphalt. That's the sport of street luge, an extreme gravity-powered activity that involves riding a street luge board, or sled,
Category:
Minority children in Texas are at higher risk for asthma, according to recent reports. One million children in Texas are considered asthmatic -- more than ten percent of all children in the country diagnosed with the disease -- and African-American and Pu
Category:
The nineteenth century may not have been so kind to natural healers. Western medicine was witnessing the dawn of many fascinating achievements, after all, and commandeering the spotlight: antibiotics, advancement in surgery techniques, and better trauma c
Category:
With the great advances in medical care in recent years, many of them related to early detection of disease, it makes more and more sense for residents of Dallas, Houston, Austin and throughout Texas to take advantage of what is available, Those who do so
Category:
Ask any individual who's got them, friends, whether you live in Austin, Dallas, Houston or anywhere else in Texas, are good for you. They are good for health as well as for your life in general. The proof? During down times, friends are a source of comfor
Category:
Individuals in Dallas, Houston, Austin and elsewhere in Texas have probably heard that a multivitamin every day might help you live longer. Unfortunately, many industry supplement industry watchdogs have recently found that more than half of the 21 multiv
Category:
I distinctly remember my first real breakup, experienced during that adventurous, turbulent, and notorious freshman year of college. I had just moved away from my tiny, Midwestern hometown to seek my degree at a large university out of state.
Category:
The weather in Austin, Dallas, Houston and the rest of Texas is already starting to cool down. This means, for many individuals, the stress of the holiday season is almost upon them. When your stress peaks, it's hard to think, let alone act. These steps c
Category:
There are certain activities that can reduce stress which are very tangible, including exercise, eating healthier and developing and nurturing friendships. But many individuals in Austin, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas also find that looking withi
Category:
Credit card usage is on the rise, according to a report released this week by the well-known credit-tracking company, Experian. More Americans have more cards, and heavy users are just getting heavier.
Category:
Any place where the terrain is rough and the sky is blue in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas is a place you'll probably find mountain bikers. The sport of mountain biking usually refers to riding bicycles, which possess particular design characterist
Category:
For those individuals in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas who enjoy eating raw seafood such as oysters, the federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has a warning for you. Basically, know where you are getting your favorite aphrodisiac from.
Category:
According to the latest medical research, there is a correlation between a healthy mouth and a healthy body. Most Texans understand the popular link between healthy eating to prevent heart disease and keeping a normal body weight. Now individuals in Dalla
Category:
Although it hasn't taken off as quickly as other extreme sports, finger jousting is on the rise in Dallas, Houston and elsewhere in Texas. Individuals can often be found finger jousting in living rooms and open air malls throughout the state and around th
Category:
Other links at Disease & Illness
If a loved one is experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, the family members will search for Alzheimer's disease information. They may have many questions: Is it really Alzheimer's? What kind of care do they need? What happens next? There are many p
Category:
A vaginal yeast infection is an embarrassing problem. But there really no need to be embarrassed, many women experience a vaginal yeast infection at some point, so what you really need to know is how to get rid of it.
Category:
Many people suffer from extreme headache pain but don't realize that what they are experiencing is actually a migraine which often requires a different approach to treatment.
Category:
The immune system of a person with an allergy tries to combat allergens. It looks upon the small driftwood of everyday life house dust, pollen, animal dander, and mold as outsiders that are sure to do some dreadful damage.
Category:
The dangers of mold are exposed and what you can do to prevent this menace.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68252
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
