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Addiction Recovery Bulletin
EVEN THE STONED DIE YOUNG –
March 18, 2024 – The retrospective study found that cannabis users under 50 were more than six times as likely to experience a heart attack compared to non-users. Meanwhile, the meta-analysis, the largest pooled study on this topic to date, found that marijuana use was associated with a 50% higher risk of heart attacks. While the mechanisms through which marijuana or its components may impact the cardiovascular system are not fully understood, the researchers hypothesize that it can affect heart rhythm regulation, heighten oxygen demand in the heart muscle, and contribute to endothelial dysfunction, which makes it harder for the blood vessels to relax and expand, and can interrupt blood flow.
“Asking about cannabis use should be part of clinicians’ workup to understand patients’ overall cardiovascular risk, similar to asking about smoking cigarettes,” said Ibrahim Kamel, MD, clinical instructor at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and internal medicine resident at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston and the study’s lead author. “At a policy level, a fair warning should be made so that the people who are consuming cannabis know that there are risks.”
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