CLOTTING ADDS TO COCAINE RISK, STUDY REVEALS

CHICAGO -- Cocaine use can promote blood clotting, which may explain how the
drug triggers heart attacks in its users, according to a new study.

Cocaine caused blood to thicken by increasing the number of red blood cells
and by triggering an increase in a protein that causes platelets to stick
together, said Dr. Arthur Siegel, the study's lead author.

The "double whammy" can cause clotting that can lead to heart attacks and
strokes, said Siegel, chief of internal medicine at McLean Hospital outside
Boston.