heroin and Diabetes-Mellitus--Type-1

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and poor glycaemic control in young adults with Type 1 diabetes may be associated with street drug use. There are few studies in the UK looking at the prevalence of drug use in young adults with diabetes.. One hundred and fifty-eight young adults, aged sixteen to thirty years, with Type 1 diabetes attending an urban diabetes clinic were sent an anonymous confidential postal questionnaire to determine the prevalence of street drug use.. We received 85 completed responses. Twenty-nine percent of respondents admitted to using street drugs. Of those, 68 percent habitually took street drugs more than once a month. Seventy-two percent of users were unaware of the adverse effects on diabetes.. Self-reported street drug usage in young adults with Type 1 diabetes is common and may contribute to poor glycaemic control and serious complications of diabetes.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cannabis; Cocaine; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetic Ketoacidosis; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; Hallucinogens; Heroin; Humans; Illicit Drugs; N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; Narcotics; Prevalence; Substance-Related Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom