NIH-funded observational study shows risk grows sharply with more frequent use.
Smoking, vaping, or consuming marijuana has been found to be associated with a significantly heightened risk of heart attack and stroke, regardless of a person’s pre-existing heart conditions or the absence of tobacco smoking or vaping, according to a recent study.
The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH, found that daily use of cannabis — predominately through smoking — was associated with a 25% increased likelihood of heart attack and a 42% increased likelihood of stroke when compared to non-use of the drug.
Less frequent use was also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Weekly users showed a 3% increased likelihood of heart attack and a 5% increased likelihood of stroke.
Around 75% of the study participants indicated that their primary consumption method for cannabis was smoking. The remaining 25% reported utilizing alternative methods, including vaping, drinking, or consuming the drug orally.
“We know that toxins are released when cannabis is burned, similar to those found in tobacco smoke,” said corresponding author Abra Jeffers, Ph.D., a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and formerly a researcher at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, where she conducted the study as part of her postdoctoral work.
Researchers note that while the exact mechanisms linking cannabis to heart disease are unclear and were not explored in the current study, multiple factors could play a role.
In addition to toxins, endocannabinoid receptors — the part of cells responsible for recognizing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — are widespread in the body’s cardiovascular tissues and might facilitate heart risks.
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