Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine-Induced Cardiomyopathy, an Emerging Cause of Heart Failure in Young Patient Populations: A Case Study Involving the Study Drug

Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine-induced cardiomyopathy has become an emerging cause of heart failure in teenage and young adult populations. With its increasingly widespread use for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as misuse as a “study drug” to increase concentration for educational performance, more patients are at risk of this cardiac manifestation, especially those without knowledge of these risks. It becomes vital to highlight the correlation of amphetamine-dextroamphetamine use and heart failure in order to increase awareness of this condition. This case study highlights the manifestation of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy in a 38-year-old female patient with long-standing amphetamine-dextroamphetamine use for refractory narcolepsy. Our patient was evaluated utilizing a thyroid panel, lipid profiles, EKG, Holter monitoring, stress echocardiography, and left heart catheterization, revealing an unremarkable thyroid panel, a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 20-25% from 35% to 40% and normal coronary vessels. Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine was discontinued with the introduction of metoprolol, aspirin, and atorvastatin. The mainstay of treatment includes cessation of amphetamine-dextroamphetamine. It is important that physicians continue to recognize the implication of amphetamine-dextroamphetamine in the diagnosis of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in young patients presenting with heart failure like symptomology and to attain a comprehensive history in order to establish this diagnosis.