According to specialists from the UK and Czechia, individuals with a history of hospitalisation for drug use disorders had much poorer outcomes following the development of a wide range of physical health conditions.
Researchers looked examined the risk of mortality and loss of life-years among patients who had 28 different physical health issues, comparing those who had previously been hospitalised with drug use disorder to those who had not.
They discovered that individuals with the majority of the health issues were more likely than their peers to die during the research period if they had previously been hospitalised for drug use disorder. People with drug use disorders showed reduced life expectancies for the majority of subsequent health problems than people without substance use disorders.
People with a history of hospitalisation for drug use disorders had much poorer outcomes after the commencement of a wide range of physical health conditions, according to scientists in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.
Researchers looked examined the risk of mortality and loss of life-years among patients who had 28 different physical health issues, comparing those who had previously been hospitalised with drug use disorder to those who had not.
They discovered that individuals with the majority of the health issues were more likely than their peers to die during the research period if they had previously been hospitalised for drug use disorder. People with drug use disorders showed reduced life expectancies for the majority of subsequent health problems than people without substance use disorders.
Although the study only looked at people in Czechia, the researchers expect the findings would be comparable in other countries as well.
They discovered that patients with pre-existing drug use problems were more likely than their peers to die during the research after developing 26 of 28 physical health issues. The risk was more than doubled for seven of these disorders, including atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. People with drug use problems typically have lower life expectancies than their peers.
“Substance use disorders appear to have a profound negative impact on prognosis following the development of various subsequent physical health conditions, in some cases dramatically affecting the life expectancy of the affected people,” said lead author Tomas Formanek, a PhD student at the National Institute of Mental Health in Czechia and the University of Cambridge.
It is unclear why this is the case, however the researchers suggest there are several possibilities. Substance abuse is already recognised to have a direct detrimental influence on physical health and is linked to lifestyle variables that affect our health, such as smoking, lack of exercise, and bad food.
Similarly, persons with substance use disorders are less likely to participate in screening and prevention programmes for diseases such as cancer and diabetes, as well as to utilise preventative medicine such as antihypertensive pills.
There are also other non-substance-related issues, such as diagnostic overshadowing, which refers to the misattribution of physical symptoms to mental problems. Misattribution can lead to underdiagnosis, late diagnosis, and delayed treatment in afflicted persons.
“These results illustrate how crucial it is not to compartmentalise health disorders into mind, brain, or body,” said senior author Professor Peter Jones of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry.
All of these factors combine, resulting in substantial increases in mortality from later medical ailments among those with drug use disorders. There are strong implications for preventative action by doctors, health care providers, and policymakers, all of whom must recognise these interconnections.”
“It is also crucial to realise that the majority of persons with substance use problems go unreported,” said co-author Dr. Petr Winkler of the National Institute of Mental Health in Czechia. They frequently do not seek professional assistance, and hospitalizations for these disorders are normally reserved for the most severe cases. Along with activities focusing on the physical health of those with drug use disorders, we must also prioritise early diagnosis and intervention in substance use disorders.”
