Relationship between using raw opium and opioids with coronary artery stenosis based on coronary an-giography findings

artery disease (CAD) is one of the major reasons of morbidity and mortality in the world. The present study is aimed to investigate the relationship between using opium and coronary artery stenosis among patients who underwent coronary artery angiography. A total number of 242 patients attending Imam Ali Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran, who were referred for coronary angiography were studied. Patients were interviewed about using opium before angiography. They were divided into two groups of users and non-users of opium. Coronary vessels were evaluated after angiography based on the stenosis severity. Using descriptive statistics and frequency tables, data was analyzed with t-test and Chi-squared statistical tests with multi variable analysis were used to determine the relationship among variables by comparing their differences. The most common abused drug was opium and the most common route was via inhalation. Coronary vessel lesions were more prevalent among opium users (60%) in comparison with non-users (26%). LAD (left anterior descending) artery lesion was the most common case among the patients. Of 82 opium users, 65 cases had coronary artery lesions and 17 did not have such Opium usage, omitting the effects of other confounding factors such as BMI and smoking was considered as an independent risk factor resulting in coronary lesions.