Introduction: Amphetamine-type stimulants are the most widely used class of illicit drugs in the world after cannabinoids, and there is a growing epidemic in illicit methamphetamine use. Methamphetamine can have adverse and potentially fatal effects on arteries and blood vessels, including elevated blood pressure, acute vasospasm, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and methamphetamine induces structural and electrical remodeling of cardiac tissue. This symposium will present human and animal studies regarding the impact of methamphetamine on the cardiovascular system, and discuss the findings that individuals exposed to methamphetamine present with early onset cardiovascular disease.
