Abstract 13921: Substance Use Disorders and Prevalence of Stroke Amongst the US Population

Abstract

Introduction: Globally, stroke is one of the top five leading causes of death. Although it was being mostly reported in the elderly population, recently a significant number of young adults are being diagnosed with stroke. The increasing prevalence of comorbidities like diabetes, & hypertension, along with a rise in substance use disorders (SUDs) could be attributed to increased stroke diagnosis among young adults. Aims & Objectives: The aims of the study include an evaluation of the prevalence of stroke in the US population & prevalence of SUDs amongst patients with a history of Stroke. Methods: Our population was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2018. We identified respondents who were diagnosed with stroke & SUDs based on the questionnaire. We performed univariate analysis using chi-square & Mann-Whitney tests using SAS software (Version 9.4). A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 264,740 respondents were included in this study, of which 10435 (3.94%) had a history of stroke. Respondents with history of stroke were older (median age: 68 years) & more prevalent among males (3.98% vs 3.90% females), non-Hispanic Blacks (5.07% vs 4.76% non-Hispanic Whites vs 2.92% other Hispanics), population, & those belonging to lower annual household income (6.76% $0-$25,000 vs 1.50% >$100,000).(p<0.0001). Consumption of cocaine [89.91% vs 95.56%], marijuana/hashish [63.72% vs 52.97%], methamphetamine [45.81% vs 39.71%], alcohol use disorder-heavy drinking [36.44% vs 47.21%], heroin [23.43% vs 15.21%], e-cigarettes [12.71% vs 17.09%], & injectable drugs [4.21% vs 2.49%] were prevalent amongst people had stroke in comparison to without stroke history. Conclusions: The use of marijuana was most prevalent among respondents with a history of stroke followed by the use of methamphetamine & heroin. With the legalization of marijuana in 19 states for recreational use, the government should plan appropriate policies to lessen the stroke burden among the population with SUDs in the USA. Recall bias & geographic variations in response rate by participants of the study were the limitations of our survey-based study.