Young people who use marijuana are at increased risk for heart disease

Researchers have examined how marijuana consumption affects young people's cardiovascular function, and found signs of hardening and narrowing of arteries, which are somewhat reminiscent of the damage to blood vessels caused by cigarette smoking

Walla!

health

29/11/2021

Monday, 29 November 2021, 06:54 Updated: 06:59

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Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in the world, second only to alcohol, and many young people around the world consume it at least once a week, some even daily. At the same time, more and more countries in the world are taking steps not to incriminate and legalize this drug. In light of this, the need for studies that have examined in depth the implications and effects of frequent marijuana consumption is growing and their importance to the general population is sharpening.

One such study was conducted at Gelf University, and its researchers warn that young people who consume the drug may increase their risk of developing heart disease later in life.

The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

The study involved 35 young people aged 19-30, half of whom use marijuana on a regular basis.

The researchers examined various metrics associated with the risk of developing heart disease, such as arterial stiffness, arterial function, and the nature of blood vessel dilation depending on the blood flow in the body.

With the help of ultrasound tests, they were able to find that the arteries of the marijuana users were stiffer than those of the participants who did not consume the drug.

They tested this by comparing the speed at which it took for the blood pressure to pass through the arteries.

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Signs of vascular damage before age 30. Young man rolling joint (Photo: ShutterStock)

The phenomenon they have identified in arterial stiffness among marijuana users is similar to that observed in smokers (of regular tobacco cigarettes).

While many studies have been done on how cigarette smoking affects arterial function and heart health, in the context of marijuana there are few studies that have examined this.

Heart function itself, the researchers found, was also affected to some extent by marijuana consumption, and was slightly better in the group of participants who did not consume marijuana.

Similar differences were found by researchers in past studies that compared the heart functions of non-smoker cigarette smokers.

However, in the present study, the researchers were surprised to find that there was no change in vascular function.

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"We still do not know why cannabis users do not have a change in vascular function. We examined relatively young consumers, while past studies on cigarette smoking have shown a decrease in vascular function in people who have smoked for many years, but this may not necessarily be the case with young smokers," he explained. Christian Chung, who led the research at Gelf University.

These findings prove that the changes caused by the proper functioning of the heart following marijuana use are more subtle than those caused by cigarette smoking.

"It helps us focus our follow-up research on the direct effects of marijuana use and how they are also affected by other common factors of daily life such as exercise," added Dr. Jamie Barr, co-author of the study.

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• heart diseases