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More and more countries are removing the restrictions regarding the use of cannabis, largely due to its medicinal properties, which have been proven in recent years in many international studies.
But besides the advantages, there are also disadvantages.
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association analyzed data on 430,000 adults collected from 2016 to 2020 through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a national telephone survey conducted annually by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the study, cannabis use was associated with a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke, even if the user had no existing heart problems and did not smoke or vape, a new study found.
The age of the people who participated in the study ranged from 18 to 74, with an average age of 45. Almost 90% of those who participated in the study had not used marijuana, and more than 63% of them had never used tobacco.
Among marijuana users, nearly 74% reported smoking as the most common form of consumption;
4% were daily users, while 7% reported non-daily use.
Almost 29% of daily marijuana users and 44% of non-daily users have never used tobacco cigarettes.
The analysis of the findings revealed that men aged 55 or younger and women under 65 who used marijuana had a 36% higher risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke, regardless of whether they also used traditional tobacco products.
"The risk increased as the number of days of marijuana use increased."
Strokes, heart attacks and other heart diseases/ShutterStock
While daily and non-daily users had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke compared to non-users, the risk of stroke increased by 42% and the risk of heart attack increased by 25% if cannabis was used daily, the study found.
The risk climbed as the number of days of marijuana use increased.
"Our study shows that smoking cannabis has significant cardiovascular risks, just like smoking tobacco. This is especially important because the use of cannabis is increasing, and the use of conventional tobacco is actually decreasing," said Avra Jeffers, the lead researcher of this study.
The current study's findings mirror similar results from another study that found daily marijuana use was associated with an increase in coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke, said Robert Page II, a professor of clinical pharmacy and physical medicine at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy.
"The findings of this study have very important implications for the health of the population and should be a call to action for all those who use cannabis, as this study adds to the growing literature regarding the use of cannabis and cardiovascular disease, which can be a dangerous combination," he added.
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The present study confirms the results of previous studies
A study conducted in February 2023 found that daily use of marijuana can increase the risk of coronary artery disease by about 33% compared to those who have never used cannabis.
Coronary artery disease is caused by the accumulation of plaque in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, and is also called atherosclerosis, the most common heart disease in the world.
Two other studies published last November found that adults who did not smoke tobacco but used marijuana had a higher risk of heart attack and stroke when hospitalized, while people who used marijuana daily had a 34 percent higher risk of developing heart failure.
Marijuana use is on the rise among adults.
A 2020 study found that the number of American seniors over the age of 65 who smoke marijuana or use edibles containing the drug doubled between 2015 and 2018.
The American Heart Association recommends that people avoid smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis products, because of the potential damage to the heart, lungs and blood vessels.
"The current study, which is the largest conducted so far on the subject, indicates that smoking and inhaling cannabis increases concentrations of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood (carbon monoxide, a toxic gas), (and also) tar (partially burned combustible material) similar to the effects of inhaling a tobacco cigarette. In the second The cases - the result is an increased risk of heart muscle diseases, chest pains, heart rhythm disorders, heart attacks and other serious conditions," said the researcher in an interview with CNN.
More on the same topic:
Cannabis
marijuana
Medical Cannabis