Marijuana use can lead to heart attacks in people who are otherwise healthy, two new studies warn.
As more and more states legalize marijuana, which remains banned under federal law, two new studies offer dire news for users, according to a news release posted by the American College of Cardiology on its website.
A retrospective study of over 4.6 million people found that weed users under 50 were more than six times as likely as non-users to experience a heart attack.
The study said users were four times as likely to have a stroke, twice as likely to have heart failure and three times as likely to die due to a cardiac event.
All participants in the study were considered generally healthy.
A meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies found a 50 percent increased risk among users.
Experts theorize that marijuana use impacts the heart’s rhythm. One study reviewed indicated that the risks of a heart attack peak about an hour after marijuana consumption.
“Asking about cannabis use should be part of clinicians’ workup to understand patients’ overall cardiovascular risk, similar to asking about smoking cigarettes,” Dr. Ibrahim Kamel, clinical instructor at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and internal medicine resident at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston, said.
“At a policy level, a fair warning should be made so that the people who are consuming cannabis know that there are risks,” Kamel, the study’s lead author, said.
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Kamel said anecdotal evidence about the habits of drug users could be a limiting factor in the study’s importance.
“We should have some caution in interpreting the findings in that cannabis consumption is usually associated with other substances such as cocaine or other illicit drugs that are not accounted for,” Kamel said. “Patients should be forthcoming with their doctors and remember that we are their number one advocate and having the full story matters.”
The American College of Cardiology noted that a 2023 study found a link between marijuana use and coronary artery disease.
Last year, a study cited by the American Heart Association indicated marijuana use increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The study reported that daily marijuana use led to 25 percent higher odds of having a heart attack and 42 percent higher odds of a stroke.
Among men under 55 and women under 65, marijuana users have a 36 percent higher combined odds of coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke, the study said.
“Despite common use, little is known about the risks of cannabis use and, in particular, the cardiovascular disease risks,” lead study author Dr. Abra Jeffers said.
“The perceptions of the harmfulness of smoking cannabis are decreasing, and people have not considered cannabis use dangerous to their health,” she said, adding that “smoking cannabis – the predominant method of use – may pose additional risks because particulate matter is inhaled.”
Dr. Jasdeep Dalawari, who was not involved in the latest research, said the information “raises questions as to the safety of marijuana as it becomes more ubiquitous.” according to Fox News.
“I advise all my patients to quit smoking all substances, because we do know that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of a cardiac event, and it’s reasonable to assume that smoking marijuana presents a similar risk,” he said.
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