Cannabis use, particularly smoking, is associated with a higher risk of harmful cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, according to new data published in . American Heart Association Journal.¹ Researchers said the finding was particularly important given declining awareness of the risks associated with drug use.

Cannabis with smoking paper / S.Price – Stock.adobe.com

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug that is illegal at the federal level in the United States. About 18% of Americans (about 48 million people) used the drug at least once in 2019, according to CDC data.² Despite the widespread use of cannabis, there is currently a lack of data regarding the risks of cannabis use.

“Awareness about the harms of smoking cannabis is decreasing, and people no longer believe that cannabis use is dangerous to their health,” Abra Jeffers, lead author of the study, said in a release.³ “However, previous research has suggested that cannabis may be associated with cardiovascular disease. Additionally, smoking, the primary method of cannabis use, is due to the inhalation of particulate matter. , which may pose additional risks.”

The study was funded by the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and conducted by a team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Data were collected from surveys conducted by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System between 2016 and 2020. A telephone survey collected data on risk factors, chronic conditions, and health care access from U.S. adults.

The study cohort included 434,104 participants between the ages of 18 and 74 who answered the question, “In the past 30 days, how many days have you used marijuana or hashish?” From the survey. Results were evaluated based on answers to the following questions: “Has a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional ever told you that you have any of the following?” Symptoms for this question include angina, coronary heart disease, Includes seizures and strokes. The researchers then created a composite index of cardiovascular disease.

Among participants, 4% used cannabis daily, 7% used it irregularly, and 88.9% never used it. The most common form of consumption was smoking at 73.8%. Just over 4% of participants reported using alcohol daily, and 61.1% said they had never used cigarettes. The researchers found a prevalence of coronary heart disease of 3.5%, heart attack of 3.6%, stroke of 2.8%, and a combined prevalence of 7.4%.

Read more: Cannabis use by pregnant mothers is linked to health risks

Further analysis of participants who had never used tobacco showed that daily cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and their combination. Results were similar among men under 55 and women under 65. Additionally, not using cannabis daily was associated with lower odds of cardiovascular disease.

Study limitations include the cross-sectional design, self-reported cardiovascular disease and cannabis use, lack of data on baseline lipid profiles and blood pressure, responses not linked to death records; These include being a cannabis user. I was younger.

“Our sample was large enough to allow us to examine the association between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease in adults who had never used tobacco or e-cigarettes,” Jeffers said. Ta. “Cannabis smoke is not that different from cigarette smoke, except for the psychoactive drugs THC and nicotine. Our research shows that smoking cannabis, like smoking cigarettes, has significant cardiovascular risks. This is especially important as cannabis use is increasing and traditional tobacco use is decreasing.”

Read more: Cardiology Resource Center

References

1. Jeffers A, Glanz S, Byers AL, et al. Association between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease among U.S. adults. J. Am Heart AssocDOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.030178

2. Marijuana and Public Health Data and Statistics. report. CDC. June 8, 2021. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/data-statistics.htm

3. Cannabis use is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. news release. American Heart Association. February 28, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2024. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cannabis-use-linked-to-increase-in-heart-attach-and-stroke-risk