As the use of marijuana is becoming more popular across the United States for both medical and recreational reasons, two new studies suggest regular users of the drug may have elevated risks of heart attacks, heart failure, or strokes compared to non-cannabis users.
According to the first study, which was presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia on Nov. 6, people who reported using marijuana daily were 34 percent more likely to develop heart failure compared to those who never use the drug.
The study included nearly 157,000 adults with an average age of 54 who were free from heart failure when they enrolled in the program.
Participants were asked to fill out a survey about their marijuana use, which was defined as using marijuana when not prescribed for a health condition, or if a person was prescribed medical cannabis, they were surveyed if they use the drug beyond that reason.
The study followed participants for 45 months—or nearly four years. At the end of the analysis, researchers found that roughly 2 percent, or 2,958 people, developed heart failure.
People who reported using marijuana daily had a 34 percent increased risk of developing heart failure, compared to those who never use the drug.
However, when coronary artery disease was added to the analysis, the risk of developing heart failure dropped to 27 percent, suggesting coronary artery disease could be “a pathway through which daily marijuana use may lead to heart failure,” researchers say.
The study noted that data did not specify whether the marijuana was inhaled or eaten, which, according to researchers, “may influence cardiovascular outcomes.”
It also pointed out that risks were the same regardless of age, sex, or smoking history.
“Marijuana use isn’t without its health concerns, and our study provides more data linking its use to cardiovascular conditions,” lead study author Dr. Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, a physician at MedStar Health in Baltimore, Maryland, said in a statement.
“Our results should encourage more researchers to study the use of marijuana to better understand its health implications, especially on cardiovascular risk,” he added.
Increased Risk of Major Adverse Cardiac
In the second study, researchers evaluated data from the 2019 National Inpatient Sample, which the study described as the “largest database of hospitalizations.”According to the paper, researchers examined hospital records for adults over 65 who used only marijuana, and no tobacco, to investigate whether hospital stays were complicated by a cardiovascular event, including heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest, or arrhythmia.
“Since 2015, cannabis use in the U.S. has almost doubled, and it is increasing in older adults, therefore, understanding the potential increased cardiovascular risk from cannabis use is important,” lead study author Dr. Avilash Mondal, a physician at Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia, said in a statement.
“What is unique about our study is that patients who were using tobacco were excluded because cannabis and tobacco are sometimes used together, therefore, we were able to specifically examine cannabis use and cardiovascular outcomes,” he added.
The study evaluated 28,535 cannabis users with existing cardiovascular risk factors and found that those who abused the drug had a 20 percent increased chance of “having a major heart or brain event while hospitalized,” compared to those who never use the drug.
Meanwhile, 13.9 percent of marijuana users had “a major adverse heart and brain event while hospitalized compared to non-cannabis users.”
The comparison group included over 10 million older hospitalized adults with the same cardiovascular risk factors who did not use marijuana.
Heart Conditions
According to the AHA, heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working, but that the heart no longer pumps as well as it should. Although heart failure is a life-threatening disease, and usually, there’s no cure, patients who’ve been diagnosed with the condition can often have a good outcome if they receive the right medical treatment and make the necessary lifestyle changes.
The organization, meanwhile, also recommends people avoid smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis, because of the possible harm to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
“The latest research about cannabis use indicates that smoking and inhaling cannabis increases concentrations of blood carboxyhemoglobin (carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas), tar (partly burned combustible matter) similar to the effects of inhaling a tobacco cigarette, both of which have been linked to heart muscle disease, chest pain, heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks and other serious conditions,” Robert Page II, chair of the volunteer writing group for the 2020 AHA Scientific Statement: Medical Marijuana, Recreational Cannabis, and Cardiovascular Health, said in a statement.
“Together with the results of these two research studies, the cardiovascular risks of cannabis use are becoming clearer and should be carefully considered and monitored by health care professionals and the public,” he added.
Although marijuana addiction doesn’t have severe symptoms like heroin, fentanyl, or cocaine, the drug can nevertheless be very disruptive and interfere with many aspects of life. Anyone feeling they can’t slow down or quit after repeated attempts should be taken seriously.
