Prof. Kobi Shaham explains what are the signs of a heart attack that should concern you and when it is important to get to the emergency room quickly (Wala system!)
A new Stanford study published last Friday found evidence that people who smoke or vape cannabis every day may have a higher risk of coronary artery disease than people who don't use cannabis at all.
CNN quoted study author Dr. Ishan Faranjapa as saying that there is a "growing body of evidence" that suggests cannabis is not completely harmless, "and may actually cause cardiovascular disease." Faranjapa warned that "the decision to use cannabis must be carefully weighed against the potential for serious heart disease.” Forbes reports that evidence supporting the study includes data collected by the American College of Cardiology from 175,000 patients.
Researchers found that compared to non-cannabis users, daily marijuana users faced a 34 percent increased risk of developing common coronary artery disease, which is caused by a buildup of plaque near the heart.
The risk may not only be related to smokers.
THC—which is also found in edible marijuana and gives cannabis its psychoactive properties—appears to cause build-up and increase inflammation in general through its interaction with blood vessels.
Caution on the heart.
A man holding a heart (Photo: ShutterStock, Creative Cat Studio)
The study found that people who admitted to using weed only once a month or so were not at higher risk.
The results held even after the researchers took into account other potential factors for coronary heart disease, such as age, gender and major cardiovascular risk factors - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, obesity, smoking and alcohol use.
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Increases heart rate and blood pressure
Why does marijuana seem to damage the heart and blood vessels?
First, it increases heart rate and blood pressure immediately after each use, according to the CDC.
"Marijuana smoke also provides many of the same substances that researchers found in tobacco smoke - these substances are harmful to the lungs and the cardiovascular system," the agency says.
In 2020, the American Heart Association warned that smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis, should be avoided due to the risk of damage to the heart, lungs and blood vessels.
The AHA guidelines released at the time pointed to studies that found heart rhythm disturbances, such as tachycardia and atrial fibrillation, could occur within an hour of smoking weed containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
(THC is the part of the marijuana plant that produces a high) Other studies have shown that smoking weed has caused heart attacks and leads to a higher risk of stroke and heart failure in people with underlying heart disease.
It should be noted that the new study was unable to find out whether different types of cannabis use - such as consuming edibles versus smoking weed, for example - made a difference in a person's risk of developing coronary heart disease.
However, because THC reaches the brain more quickly when smoked, the researchers say future research should investigate different methods of use and their effects on the heart.
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