Drug, alcohol abuse tied to early-life strokes

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Younger adults who suffered a stroke were often smokers or had abused drugs or alcohol, in a new study from Ohio and Kentucky. Although strokes are often thought of as a condition of the elderly, researchers said long-term changes in the heart, arteries and blood as a result of drug abuse or heavy drinking may put users at higher-than-average risk earlier in life. It’s also possible that some drugs, particularly cocaine and methamphetamines, may trigger a stroke more immediately, according to Dr. S. …