The opioid crisis in the U.S. may have led to an increase in the number of strokes due to more bacterial infections of the heart, or infective endocarditis, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2021. Scientists also found stroke occurred among 26% of patients with infective endocarditis from IV drug use, compared to 14% of patients with infective endocarditis from other causes.

Read more: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/more-heart-infections-and-strokes-in-the-u-s-linked-to-national-opioid-epidemic