I've seen what cocaine is doing to middle-aged men. Most of my patients think an occasional line is harmless but this is what it does to your heart, brain and sex life... and why the impact is so much worse past this age

Those in their late forties are four times more likely to die from taking cocaine than those half their age. Instead, all they’re interested in is taking cocaine again to replicate the euphoric feeling they got the first time they tried it. They think they’re keeping their secret effectively, but the women in their lives invariably know. While middle-aged men may think cocaine helps recapture their youth, the reality is they’re just hastening the arrival of the health problems we associated with old age. My simple advice to anyone taking cocaine in their forties or fifties would be to stop – and if it’s your partner you’re worried about, trust your instincts and talk to them about it.