ADDICTIVE DRUGS

EFFECT ON HAEMATOLOGICAL AND HORMONAL PROFILES IN MEN

Abstract

Background: The phenomenon of drug abuse and its sequalae affect
health of the abuser in multiple ways, e.g. changes in body weight, changes in nutrient metabolism due to the
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the drugs, changes in the endocrine system, etc. There is a paucity
of research in this area, in Pakistan. Objectives: To study the effects of drugs of abuse on the physiological and
biochemical processes of the body, in a Pakistani population of drug addicts; and then to compare these findings with
an age and gender matched control group. Method: This research study was carried out at the District Headquarters
Hospital Faisalabad, at the Model Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre located in the hospital. It was a
cross-sectional, non-interventional, comparative study. Subjects were recruited by a consecutive sampling method.
The study group consisted of 100 subjects, consisting of 80 drug addicts and 20 age and sex matched controls. The
following measurements were made: Physical parameters, Plasma biochemistry, Liver function tests, Thyroid hormone
levels , Plasma electrolytes and trace element levels Statistical analysis was carried out by two way analysis of variance
and Student’s t test. The threshold for statistical significance was set at a p value equal to or less than 0.05. Results:
Mean age of drug addicts was 31 years. Most of them were poly-drug addicts and mean duration of addiction was 8
years. The drug addicts had low body weight and high blood pressure and temperature, as compared to the control
group. The laboratory tests revealed that the addicts as a group had decreased albumin, globulin and total protein
levels; while plasma glucose, SGOT, SGPT, T3 and T4 levels were generally higher in the dug addicts, as compared
to the control group. Conclusion: Besides the problem of addiction, the effects of drugs of abuse on the physiology
and biochemistry of the human body are harmful in their own right. These results are significant because they highlight
the importance of holistic assessment and management of drug abusers beyond just managing their addiction.