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CNN
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Even if you don’t have pre-existing heart disease and never smoke or smoke marijuana, smoking, vaping, or ingesting marijuana is associated with a significantly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. A new study has found that.
Both daily and non-daily cannabis users have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than non-users, while daily cannabis use increases the risk of stroke by 42% and increases the risk of heart attack by 25%. Research has shown that it increases. The risk increased as the number of days of marijuana use increased.
“Marijuana smoke is not that different from cigarette smoke, except for the psychoactive effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) vs. nicotine,” said lead author of the study and a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. says Abra Jeffers, a smoking cessation researcher.
“Our study shows that smoking cannabis has significant cardiovascular effects.” There are similar risks to smoking cigarettes. This is especially important as cannabis use increases and traditional tobacco use decreases,” Jeffers said in a statement.
The study results mirror other studies that have found that daily marijuana use is associated with increases in coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes, said Dr. Robert Page II. Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Physical Medicine at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Aurora, Colorado.
“The results of this study have huge implications for people’s health and should serve as a call to action for all health professionals, as this study shows that cannabis use and cardiovascular disease are potentially dangerous. “There is a growing body of literature suggesting that this may be a combination,” Page said in the paper. statement.
Page was not involved in the study, but chaired the volunteer writing group for the 2020 Scientific Statement on Medical and Recreational Cannabis Use and Cardiovascular Health.
Danger exists for young and old alike
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at data on 430,000 adults collected from 2016 to 2020 through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual national telephone survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. analyzed.
The age of the survey participants ranged from 18 to 74 years, with an average age of 45 years. Nearly 90% of the adults had never used marijuana, and more than 63% had never used tobacco. Among current cannabis users, nearly 74% report that smoking is the most common form of consumption. 4% used it daily, while 7% used it less than daily. Approximately 29% of daily marijuana users and 44% of casual users have never used tobacco.
Young adults (defined as men under age 55 and women under age 65) who use marijuana have a 36% higher risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, regardless of whether they also used conventional tobacco products. %it was high.
There is a known link between heart disease and marijuana
Previous research has already found a link between heart disease and marijuana use.
A February 2023 study found that daily marijuana use can increase the risk of coronary artery disease by one-third compared to people who never consume it. Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque buildup on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. CAD, also known as atherosclerosis, is the most common type of heart disease, according to the CDC.
Two studies published in November found that older adults who don’t smoke but use marijuana are at higher risk of both heart attack and stroke when hospitalized, while those who use marijuana daily are more likely to develop heart failure. was found to be 34% higher.
Marijuana use is increasing among older adults. A 2020 study found that the number of American seniors 65 and older who smoke marijuana or use edibles doubled between 2015 and 2018.
The American Heart Association advises people to refrain from smoking or vaping any substances, including cannabis products, because they can harm the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
“The latest research on cannabis use shows that smoking and inhaling cannabis increases the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin (carbon monoxide, a toxic gas) in the blood. (and) The effects of tar (a partially burned combustible material) are similar to those of inhaling cigarettes, and both are associated with heart muscle disease, chest pain, heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks, and other serious conditions.” Page told CNN in an earlier interview. .
“You need to treat this like any other risk factor (for heart disease or stroke) and be honest about the risk you’re taking,” he says.
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