Groundbreaking Research Reveals: Cannabis Use May Significantly Increase Heart Attack Risk

The retrospective analysis utilized patient data from TriNetX, a global health research network.

Over an average follow-up period of three years, compared to non-users, cannabis users exhibited:

• a sixfold increase in heart attack risk
• a fourfold increase in the risk of ischemic stroke
• a doubling of heart failure risk
• triple the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke

Study participants were under 50, with no prior cardiovascular issues. They maintained normal blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels and did not have diabetes or previous coronary artery disease, nor did they use tobacco.

The meta-analysis included studies that were considered moderate to good in quality. One study was conducted in Canada, one in India, and the remainder in the U.S.

The average age of participants in these studies was 41 years, although not all studies reported on the participants’ ages.

Out of these, seven studies linked cannabis use with a higher risk of heart attack. Four studies found no difference in risk between users and non-users, and one study suggested a slightly reduced risk among users.

When data from all these studies were combined, researchers concluded that active cannabis users were 1.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack than those who did not use the drug.

One study within this analysis found that the risk of heart attack peaked about one hour after using cannabis.

However, due to the variability in data across these studies, it was difficult for researchers to control for factors such as the amount and duration of cannabis use, and the use of tobacco or other drugs.

“A complicating factor, as mentioned in this study, is whether the use of other drugs might contribute to negative cardiovascular outcomes,” noted Hoang Nguyen, MD, an interventional cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, who was not involved in the research.

For instance, he mentioned, “Cocaine is known to adversely affect the heart, potentially causing heart attacks and weakening the heart muscles, leading to heart failure,” he explained to Healthline.

Sameer Amin, MD, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at L.A. Care Health Plan, who was not involved in the study, stated that more investigation is needed into the health risks associated with cannabis.

“However, based on preliminary data that shows a link between cannabis use and worsened cardiovascular outcomes, there is growing concern,” he mentioned to Healthline.

The potential mechanisms through which cannabis could harm the cardiovascular system are still not completely understood.

The researchers suggest that cannabis might disrupt heart rhythm regulation, increase the heart’s demand for oxygen, and impair the function of arterial linings, potentially hindering the proper relaxation and expansion of blood vessels and thus disrupting blood flow.

Regarding whether smoked or edible forms of cannabis pose greater risks, Kamel indicated that both the meta-analysis and the retrospective study lacked detailed information to determine this.

“An interesting angle for future research could be whether there are differences in the health impacts of inhaled cannabis compared to edibles like brownies, gummies, and candies,” Nguyen added.

Research on other chemicals indicates that inhalation might carry specific health risks.

“Chronic inhalation of tobacco and other substances is known to damage the lungs and increase risks for various respiratory issues, including COPD and lung cancer,” said Andrew Meltzer, MD, MS, a professor of emergency medicine and attending physician at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, who was not part of the new research.

“However, we don’t have definitive evidence yet for cannabis, as those studies have not been conducted,” he informed Healthline.

“Determining the safety level for any amount of cannabis without thorough clinical trials or laboratory research would be difficult,” Kamel expressed. “However, based on the current data, we believe that there is an inherent risk.”

Nguyen suggests that the impact of cannabis on heart health might vary depending on the frequency and quantity of usage, but more studies are necessary to confirm these speculations.

Given the uncertainties around what constitutes a safe amount of cannabis, Amin advises against the use of any substances that could elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

However, less frequent use of cannabis at lower doses might carry significantly lower risks.

“Intermittent use of cannabis at relatively low doses is mostly harmless,” Meltzer noted, but “we lack comprehensive data on the health effects of long-term cannabis use.”

Interestingly, he pointed out that “short-term use of cannabis can actually alleviate nausea and stimulate appetite in patients undergoing chemotherapy, whereas chronic daily use might cause nausea and abdominal discomfort in some individuals.”

In a recent study, he and his colleagues discovered that these symptoms, which are part of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, could represent a significant and largely unrecognized public health issue.

With the widespread legalization of cannabis across the U.S., Meltzer emphasized that we are essentially witnessing a live public health experiment, and it is crucial for cannabis users to stay informed about ongoing research into the health risks associated with this drug.

“Unless we monitor this situation carefully, we might discover in a decade that there are increased health issues linked to long-term use of cannabis,” he cautioned.