Ms Nicola Camilleri, a student at the Department of Podiatry at the University of Malta, found out that cocaine users experienced a lower blood circulation in their foot.
She conducted a study as part of her Master’s thesis in podiatry, where she sought to establish how cocaine use impacted the arteries in the lower limbs, when compared to those of non-drug users.
Her research involved the participation of 60 individuals, half of whom were cocaine-dependent and the rest did not take any drugs but smoked and consumed alcohol every now and then.
Through intensive vascular testing via doppler tests, ankle brachial blood pressure tests and toe brachial blood pressure tests on the subjects, Ms Camilleri compared the blood pressure of the cocaine users with that of drug-free participants.
Results seem to suggest that circulation is lower in cocaine users, and a risk of peripheral arterial disease (a circulatory problem where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs), and in more severe cases, amputation.
In her paper, which is being considered for publication in foreign medical journals, Ms Camilleri called for more awareness and education among these users to avoid foot complications, and recommended foot screening to be part of the rehabilitation process of drug users.
The study, titled ‘Peripheral vascular changes in the lower limbs following cocaine abuse’, can be read in its entirety online.