Recreational drugs triple the risk of stroke in young people, study finds
Recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines can significantly increase the risk of stroke in young people, a study suggests.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability combined, affecting around 100,000 people in the UK each year. However, lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, exercising and quitting smoking are known to reduce the risk of stroke.
After analyzing data from more than 100 million people, researchers at the University of Cambridge believe that the use of recreational drugs, particularly amphetamines, may triple the risk of stroke in people under 55.
The study authors suggest that the drugs may trigger stroke by causing spikes in blood pressure, heart rhythm problems and an increase in blood clotting.
Dr. from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge. Eric Harshfield said: “Our analysis shows that these drugs, and not just other lifestyle factors, increase the risk of stroke among users. Taken together, our findings highlight the importance of public health measures to reduce substance abuse as a way to help reduce stroke risk as well.”
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published in 2025, around 8.7 per cent of people aged 16 to 59 (about 2.9 million people) and 15.1 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 (about 899,000 people) said they had used “any drug” in the past 12 months.
There is already evidence to suggest that recreational drugs may increase the risk of stroke, but most of the evidence comes from observational studies; This means it is impossible to tell whether the use of these drugs increases the risk of stroke or whether it is just a correlation.
For the study published in the journal International Journal of StrokeResearchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies covering nearly 100 million people.
Cocaine and amphetamines were found to double the risk of stroke; Cocaine increased the risk by 96 percent and amphetamines by 122 percent; Marijuana use increased the risk by 37 percent.
But researchers found no significant link between opioid use and stroke risk.
Researchers then analyzed data on people under 55 and found that amphetamine use nearly tripled the risk of stroke (174 percent increase), cocaine use increased the risk by 97 percent, and marijuana use increased the risk of stroke by 14 percent.
The analysis also found that irregular cocaine use was associated with cardioembolic stroke caused by brain hemorrhage and blood clots. Cannabis use disorders have been associated with stroke in general, especially large artery stroke.
According to the Stroke Association, a stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is cut off; This kills brain cells and can affect how the body works.
For example, smoking is known to triple the risk of stroke by damaging blood vessels and increasing blood pressure.
The study authors suggest that marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines increase the risk of sudden increases in blood pressure, blood vessel spasm and narrowing, heart rhythm problems, increased blood clotting (especially marijuana), and inflammation or vasculitis (especially amphetamines).
Dr. from the University of Cambridge stroke research group. Megan Ritson said: “This is the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted on recreational drug use and stroke risk and provides compelling evidence that drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis are causal risk factors for stroke. These findings provide us with stronger evidence to guide future research and public health strategies.”
