Lifetime Substance Misuse and 5-Year Incidence Rates of Emergent Health Problems Among Middle-Aged Adults

ABSTRACT

Understanding the impact of prior substance misuse on emergent health problems is important to the implementation of effective preventive care. This study examined the 5-year incidence rates using a sample of middle-aged adult adoptees (N = 309, mean_age = 44.32, standard deviation_age = 7.28). Subjects reported on health problems at two waves of study. DSM-IV diagnoses of substance misuse were obtained using a semi-structured diagnostic interview. Finally, health services utilization and perceived health status were collected. Lifetime diagnoses of marijuana and other non-marijuana substance misuse significantly predicted new occurrences of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Alcohol misuse predicted earlier onset of cardiovascular disease among men. Marijuana and other non-marijuana drugs predicted earlier onset of cardiovascular disease for men and women. Finally, marijuana and other non-marijuana drugs predicted earlier onset of metabolic disease among men. Substance misuse did not predict health services utilization despite higher rates of disease. These findings emphasize the need to assess lifetime substance misuse when evaluating health risks associated with use.

KEYWORDS:

• Abuse
• alcohol
• health
• tobacco

Funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) grant # R01 DA005821, Gene x Environment Interactions in the Development of Drug Abuse.

Notes

∗P value corresponds to sex differences.

^a Onset age of alcohol use was age first drank regularly (at least once a month). Twenty-eight subjects reported never drinking regularly. Differences in numbers reflect missing age of onset data.

^a P <.05.

^b P <.01.

^c P <.001.

^aMann–Whitney U tests of association.

^bChi-square analysis.