Two new studies have found that the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure is much higher in those who smoke marijuana compared to those who don’t partake in the substance.
The studies were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia on Monday. One found that older adults who use marijuana were at a higher risk for hospitalization for heart attack and stroke, while another found daily users were 34% more likely to develop heart failure.
With the potential harm to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels, the AHA is recommending that people refrain from smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis products.
“Observational data are strongly pointing to the fact that … cannabis use at any point in time, be it recreational or medicinal, may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease,” Robert Page II, the chair of the volunteer writing group for the 2020 American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Medical Marijuana, Recreational Cannabis, and Cardiovascular Health, said in a statement.
Page continued, saying that the latest research about cannabis use indicates that inhaling the substance has a similar effect to “inhaling a tobacco cigarette, both of which have been linked to heart muscle disease, chest pain, heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks, and other serious conditions.”
As for what should be done about the substance, Page says it needs to be treated like “any other risk factor” for heart disease and stroke.
The first study, which examined the use of the disease in older adults, examined medical records for adults over 65 with cannabis use disorder who did not smoke tobacco.
It found that chronic conditions that already existed in the age group were made worse by the impact of marijuana.
Researchers found that the 8,535 adults who abused weed had a 20% higher risk of having a major heart or brain event while hospitalized.
“We know acute use can lead to a drop in blood pressure and therefore, particularly when this is vaped or when it is smoked and or combusted. And so, therefore, that plays into the … understanding the potential risk for stroke,” Page said. “But what’s interesting is if you look at individuals who’ve used cannabis daily over very long periods of time, it’s actually been associated with an increase in blood pressure which is also a risk factor for numerous other cardiovascular conditions.”
The second study looked at just that, daily use.
Researchers followed nearly 160,000 adults with a median age of 54 for nearly four years to see how daily cannabis use would impact their chances of developing heart failure.
The study found that those who reported daily marijuana use had a 34% higher chance of developing heart failure when compared to those who never used the substance.
The research into the effects of marijuana comes as 21 states have moved to legalize recreational use of the substance and as its popularity rises, especially among older adults.
A 2020 study found that from 2015 to 2018, the number of American seniors over the age of 65 who smoke or use edibles has increased twofold.
“Prior research shows links between marijuana use and cardiovascular disease like coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation, which is known to cause heart failure,” Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, a resident physician at Medstar Health in Baltimore, said in a statement. “Marijuana use isn’t without its health concerns, and our study provides more data linking its use to cardiovascular conditions.”