Weed whacker: NIH study links cannabis smoking use to increased heart attacks and strokes

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A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health has uncovered findings linking frequent marijuana smoking to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, is based on data collected from approximately 435,000 American adults, making it the largest investigation into the relationship between cannabis use and cardiovascular events. .

The findings showed that people who reported daily cannabis use were 25% more likely to experience a heart attack and had a 42% higher risk of stroke than non-users.

Additionally, even infrequent use is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, with weekly users 3% more likely to have a heart attack and 5% more likely to have a stroke.

Dr. Abra Jeffers, one of the study authors and a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital, highlighted similarities between cannabis and cigarette smoke related to the release of toxins during combustion.

“Smoking marijuana also appears to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” Jeffers said.

Although the exact mechanisms linking cannabis and heart disease remain unclear and were not the focus of the current study, researchers believe that a number of endocannabinoid receptors, found in the body’s cardiovascular tissues, We are guessing the factors. The main psychoactive compound in cannabis.

The study used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2016 and 2020. Researchers assessed the association between cannabis smoking frequency and self-reported cardiovascular disease outcomes, adjusting for factors such as tobacco use and demographics. body mass index (BMI), diabetes, physical activity level, and socio-economic status.

David C. Goff, MD, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Institutes of Health, Lung, and Blood, emphasized the importance of these findings.

“Ask patients about their cannabis use during routine medical checkups will help us learn more about the long-term effects of cannabis on the body,” he said.

As weed continues to be legalized across the country, this study points to the potential risks associated with its regular use. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Alaska, followed by heart disease. According to the CDC, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for Alaskans.

According to the CDC, the leading causes of death in Alaska in 2021 include other conditions often associated with drug use, such as accidental death and suicide. The top 10 causes of death in Alaska according to the CDC are: