Title:Opioid Dependency and Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Volume: 16
Issue: 4
Author(s): Farahnaz Rohani, Arash A. Rezayat, Ahmadreza Zarifian, Mohammad G. Nour, Farveh Vakilian, Amirhossein Sahebkar*Maliheh Dadgarmoghaddam*
Affiliation:
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad,Iran
- Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad,Iran
Keywords:
Myocardial infarction, morphine, opioid dependency, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia.
Abstract:
Background: Coronary artery disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
A major health concern in the developing countries is opioid addiction, which has controversial
cardiovascular side effects. We aimed to investigate whether Myocardial Infarction (MI) and its risk
factors are associated with morphine dependency in the Iranian population.
Methods: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, Scopus, SID, Element, and Magiran
were searched to find published articles including the keywords morphine, coronary artery disease,
hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus.
Results: Twelve studies involving 25,800 people were included in this systematic review and metaanalysis.
Morphine dependency was significantly associated with MI with an adjusted odds ratio
(AOR) of 2.28 (95%CI=1.26-4.11). It neither has significant associations with hypertension
(AOR=0.952; 95%CI=0.696-1.301) nor diabetes (AOR=0.895; 95%CI=0.644-1.246). Morphine dependency
also had no significant association with hyperlipidemia with a Crude Odds Ratio (COR) of
0.906 (95%CI=0.786-1.045).
Conclusion: Morphine dependency was significantly related to MI, but its risk factors were not significantly
associated with morphine dependency. The increasing prevalence of opioid abuse in developing
countries may be a reason for the growing incidence of MI in younger ages and individuals with
no risk factors. Besides, physicians should consider the presence of impurities in morphine-based opioids
and their possible effects on health.
