Cocaine addicts could be at a higher risk of DEMENTIA due to a build-up of iron in their brain

Cocaine addicts could be more likely to develop dementia, new research suggests. 

Regular use of the illegal drug causes excessive amounts of iron to accumulate in parts of the brain.

However, high levels of the mineral are associated with the death of brain cells, which has been linked to the neurodegenerative disease. 

The research, conducted by the University of Cambridge, examined brain tissue in 44 people who were addicted to cocaine - and 44 volunteers who were not.

In the former, they detected excessive amounts of iron in the globus pallidus, a part of the brain which ordinarily acts as a 'brake' for inhibiting behaviour.

The concentration of iron in this area was also directly linked with the duration of cocaine use, the study published in the Translational Psychiatry journal found.

So, in other words, the longer that participants had used cocaine, the greater the accumulation of iron.

At the same time, the increased concentration of the mineral in the brain was accompanied by mild iron deficiency in the rest of the body.

This suggested that iron regulation in general is disrupted in people with cocaine addiction.

Dr Karen Ersche, lead author of the study, said: 'Given the important role that iron plays in both health and disease, iron metabolism is normally tightly regulated.

'Long-term cocaine use, however, seems to disrupt this regulation, which may cause significant harm. 

'Iron is used to produce red blood cells, which help store and carry oxygen in the blood. 

'So, iron deficiency in the blood means that organs and tissues may not get as much oxygen as they need. 

'On the other hand, we know that excessive iron in the brain is associated with cell death, which is what we frequently see in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.' 

Dr Ersche believes the most likely mechanism is that cocaine disrupts iron metabolism, possibly by reducing the absorption of iron from food.

But there is no suggestion that cocaine addiction necessarily increases the risk of dementia, the researchers added. 

The mechanism underlying the increase in iron in the brain in Parkinson's disease, for example, is different to that in cocaine addiction, as are the affected brain regions. 

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