A study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco shows that the heart risks associated with smoking marijuana are similar to those associated with smoking cigarettes. With the legalization and increased use of cannabis, there are concerns that heart health problems may increase. Daily cannabis use is associated with a significantly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

Researchers have found that smoking marijuana poses similar heart risks as cigarettes, and increased legalization could lead to potential heart health problems. Daily users are at increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The heart risks of smoking marijuana are similar to those of smoking cigarettes, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, who warn that increased use of marijuana across the United States could lead to an increase in heart health problems.

The study found that daily cannabis users had a 25% increased risk of heart attack and a 42% increased risk of stroke compared to non-users.

Cannabis has become even more popular due to its legalization. Recreational use is currently allowed in 24 states, and as of 2019, nearly 4% said they used it daily and 18% said they used it annually. This is a significant increase since 2002, when 1.3% said they used it daily and 10.4% said they used it annually.

“Cannabis use is increasing in both prevalence and frequency, while traditional smoking is decreasing,” said Salome Keehani, MD, professor of medicine at UCSF and lead author of the study. Ta. This study was published on February 28, 2024. American Heart Association Journal. “Cannabis use itself may become a more important risk factor over time.”

Even people who have never smoked are at risk for heart disease

Researchers studied the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national cross-sectional survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to examine the association between cannabis use and adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. data was used.

They investigated whether cannabis use was associated with coronary heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke among the general adult population and people who had never smoked.

Of the 434,104 respondents, approximately 4% use marijuana daily, 7.1% use it non-daily (about 5 days per month), and 88.9% have used marijuana in the past 30 days. There wasn’t. Among current users, about three-quarters said they primarily smoked.

The study found that cannabis use was independently associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, with the odds increasing with the number of days per month a person used cannabis.

The study also examined the effects on people who had never smoked or vaped, and found that cannabis use alone was associated with both stroke and the combination of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It turned out that there was.

“This is an important public health discovery, especially given our continued efforts to reduce the burden of heart disease in this country,” said Dr. said David C. Goff, MD. , the Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). National Institutes of Health.

We need to change our perception of risk

People who smoke marijuana are often reluctant to disclose it to their doctors, in part because they believe it is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, and many states, such as California, were among the first to make marijuana medically available. Approved for this purpose. The researchers noted that changing these attitudes will be an uphill battle.

“There’s a multi-billion dollar cannabis industry, and there’s a market for cannabis that’s not just harmless, it’s good for you,” Keehani said. “It can be difficult to discuss this with patients because there is evidence that cannabis has therapeutic benefits. But as this study suggests, there are also significant cardiovascular risks with cannabis use. ”

For more information on this study, please see:

References: “The Association between Cannabis Use and Cardiovascular Disease in U.S. Adults,” by Abra M. Jeffers, Stanton Glantz, Amy L. Byers, and Salome Keehani, February 28, 2024. American Heart Association Journal.
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.030178

Co-authors: UCSF co-authors also include Stanton Glantz, Ph.D., and Amy L. Byers, Ph.D., MPH.

Funding: NHLBI 1R01HL130484-01A1 and National Cancer Institute (grant T32 CA113710).