Adults with cannabis use disorder are more likely to experience heart attacks and strokes.
- Among people with a cannabis use disorder, 721 experienced a first event of cardiovascular disease, compared to 458 in the control group.
- Patients appear to have about a 60% higher risk of experiencing their first heart attack and stroke.
- Within the group of adults with cannabis use disorder, those who visited health services less than five times in the past six months had an even higher risk of first cardiovascular disease.
In a recent study, researchers from the University of Calgary (Canada) wanted to measure the association between disorders linked to cannabis use and the occurrence for the first time of adverse cardiovascular events. These include heart attacks, strokes, cardiac dysrhythmias and peripheral vascular disease.
Stroke, heart attack: 60% more risk in cases of disorders linked to cannabis use
For the purposes of the work, published in the journal Addiction, the scientists used five health databases, which made it possible to include 59,528 people in the research. Participants were followed from January 2012 to December 2019. Half of the volunteers were diagnosed with a cannabis use disorder and the other half were not.
Among people with a cannabis use disorder, 2.4% (721) experienced a first cardiovascular disease event, compared to 1.5% (458) in the unexposed group. According to the results, patients with cannabis use disorder have an approximately 60% higher risk of experiencing their first myocardial infarction, stroke or other major cardiovascular event than those without the disorder.
Cannabis: cardiovascular risk factors among consumers
Among participants with cannabis use disorder, those who did not have mental health comorbidity, who had not used health services in the previous six months, who were not taking medication prescription and who did not have comorbidity appeared to have higher risk ratios for cardiovascular disease. “This can be explained by the fact that these people considered cannabis to be a drug,” the researchers said.
“Our study does not provide enough information to say that cannabis use disorders cause adverse cardiovascular events, but we can go so far as to say that Canadians with cannabis use disorders of cannabis appear to have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people without these disorders. concluded Dr Anees Bahji, lead author of the research, in a statement. The team believes that public health initiatives should be put in place to inform the population of the potential dangers of excessive cannabis consumption and to encourage a healthy lifestyle in terms of cardiovascular well-being.
