Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Trends in urine drug screening and positivity among patients with heart failure: Insights from a large health system
Authors' conclusion
Findings suggest that substance use, particularly opioids and cannabinoids, may be common in patients with HF.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with a urine drug screen in a large academic health system in Colorado (Epic EHR)6,725 (8.9%) with HF
- Participants
- 75,166 adults
- Exposure
- Patients with HF vs without HF who had a urine drug screening (UDS)
- HFn = 6,725
- Outcome
- UDS positivity (any positive result)
Methodological detailssingle health system
- Single health system
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Any positive UDS
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Positivity by substance (HF)
- 42.4% · Opiates · Cannabinoids 29.0% · Benzodiazepines 28.0% · Cocaine 11.0%
Characteristics associated with HF among tested patients
- Tested patients more likely to have HF if older, male, Black and Medicare beneficiaries
Original publication
Trends in urine drug screening and positivity among patients with heart failure: Insights from a large health system. Am Heart J. Published 10 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →