In today’s Health Alert, new research suggests that using marijuana may significantly increase the chance of experiencing heart attacks and strokes.
This risk remained high even for people without previous heart conditions or who had never smoked or vaped tobacco products.
It did not matter whether individuals smoked, ate, or vaped cannabis. But interestingly, 74% of the participants in the study preferred smoking. Of those, 4% were daily users, and 7% used marijuana less than daily.
This study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers analyzed survey data from more than 430,000 adults over four years. What they found was the risk of heart attack and stroke was much higher for cannabis users compared to non-users.
Breaking it down, daily marijuana use was linked to a 42% higher stroke risk and a 25% higher risk of a heart attack. The study also found the more frequently people used marijuana, the higher the risk climbed.
Here’s something younger people need to be aware of. The risks of stroke and heart attack aren't just limited to older adults. This study included people between the ages of 18 and 74. For men under the age of 55 and women under the age of 65, cannabis use was linked with a 36% higher risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Smoking marijuana is very similar to smoking tobacco cigarettes. Recent studies on cannabis use suggest that smoking or inhaling cannabis raises the levels of harmful substances in the blood. Particularly carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas, and tar, which is partly burned combustible matter. Both marijuana and tobacco cigarette use have been associated with chest pain, heart rhythm disturbances, heart muscle disease, and heart attacks.
So as more states legalized the use of recreational cannabis - we’re now at 24 states plus Washington, D.C. – with its popularity is rising. A 2020 study found use increased twofold between 2015 and 2018 among seniors over 65. Plus, a survey found that 48.2 million individuals aged 12 and older said they used cannabis at least once in 2019.
In my opinion, it’s best to avoid smoking or vaping any substance, just as the American Heart Association advises. However, if you choose to use it, please talk to your family doctor. Monitoring existing health conditions is very important, and you should be aware of signs and symptoms caused by these potentially serious health concerns that are linked to cannabis use.
