Two new American Heart Association (AHA) studies were presented during their 2023 meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania indicating that regular marijuana use may harm the heart and brain, particularly in older persons with medical conditions.
The first study tracked 156,999 people who had no history of heart disease. Over roughly four years, 2,958 of these individuals ended up with heart failure. Daily marijuana users had a 34% higher risk of heart failure regardless of age, gender, or smoking history. This risk factor dropped to 27% for people with coronary artery disease, which restricts heart-blood vessels.
A man smokes marijuana during the 'Cannabis at the Park' festival in Bogota, Colombia on October 7, 2023.
Increased Risk of Heart Failure
Research head Dr. Yakubu Bene-Alhasan from Baltimore's MedStar Health said that frequent marijuana use could lead to damage in the coronary arteries, sometimes leading to heart failure.
Dr. Bene-Alhasan remarked, as quoted by the Hindustan Times: "Prior research shows links between marijuana use and cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, which is known to cause heart failure."
In the second AHA study, 28,535 marijuana users with high blood pressure, cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes were examined, per The Business Standard. These individuals had extra heart disease risk factors. The 2019 National Inpatient Sample, which keeps track of hospital admissions in the US, provided the data for this investigation. As tobacco and marijuana are often used simultaneously, the investigation concentrated on people over 65 who did not smoke.
Moreover, 20% of marijuana users had significant cardiac or neurological problems, such as heart attacks or strokes, while they were in the hospital, according to the alarming data. Another 13.9% died or suffered serious heart and brain events. Furthermore, the incidence of heart attacks was greater among marijuana users with cardiovascular risk factors (7.6% vs. 6%) than among non-users.
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Lead study author Dr. Avilash Mondal, a resident physician at Philadelphia's Nazareth Hospital, highlighted how special their research was since it only looked at cannabis usage and its effects on cardiovascular outcomes, excluding tobacco users.
The results of this AHA research are not unique. Daily marijuana users had a one-third higher risk of coronary artery disease than non-users, according to a 2023 CDC research.
Increasing Number of Marijuana Users Among Seniors
According to a CNN report, more seniors are using marijuana. A study conducted in 2020 found that double the number of seniors over 65 were eating edibles or smoking marijuana between 2015 and 2018. Another study done in 2023 found a shocking 450% increase in the number of seniors over 65 engaging in binge drinking and marijuana use within a month from 2015 to 2019.
It is worth noting that three in 10 marijuana users might have a cannabis use disorder known as an increased dependence on cannabis. If someone stops using marijuana, they may experience cravings, mood changes, restlessness, irritability, or trouble sleeping. Despite the negative impacts, some continue to use marijuana, which can lead to addiction and affect various aspects of their lives.
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