Study: Amphetamines Double Stroke Risk

Do amphetamines directly cause strokes or do lifestyle factors among users explain the risk?

Published MAR 9

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Above: People participated in the 2025 Marijuana March in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 14, 2025. Image credit: Faga Almeida/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

Amphetamines more than double stroke risk, with users under 55 facing a nearly threefold increase. The biological mechanisms are clear — sudden blood pressure spikes, vessel spasms, heart rhythm disruptions and increased clotting all directly cause strokes. This comprehensive analysis of over 100 million people provides compelling causal evidence that demands immediate public health action.

University of Cambridge Female First Men's Health X

Narrative B

Recreational drug use correlates with higher stroke rates, but lifestyle factors among users likely explain much of the risk. Drug users often have poorer general health, worse diets and less exercise. The observational studies cannot prove causation, and focusing solely on drug prohibition ignores the broader preventable lifestyle choices that account for nine out of 10 strokes.

Guardian The Independent US News & World Report