Chronic use of which drug is associated with high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and cirrhosis?

• A. Heroin
• B. Alcohol
• C. Cocaine
• D. Marijuana

Answer: (B)

Chronic heavy alcohol use damages multiple organs, including the heart and liver. It raises blood pressure over time through sustained sympathetic activation and fluid retention, and it can trigger arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, especially with binge drinking. It also leads to alcoholic liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis due to acetaldehyde toxicity, oxidative stress, and activation of hepatic stellate cells causing fibrosis. Because all three issues—high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and cirrhosis—are commonly linked to long-term alcohol use, this is the best answer. Other drugs can cause some cardiovascular issues or liver injury, but cirrhosis tied to long-term use fits alcohol most precisely.