Healthcare

New Study Shows Cannabis Use Associated With Higher Risk Of Heart Disease

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Cannabis use has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new study from the American Heart Association.

The study, released Feb. 28, found that the risk of cardiovascular problems increased along with the frequency of cannabis use. The correlation remained regardless of other variables considered throughout the study.

“Patients and policymakers need to be informed of these potential risks, especially given the declining perception of risk associated with cannabis use,” the study says. It included a sample size of 434,104 people from across the country and U.S. territories.

“Smoking, the predominant method of cannabis use, may pose additional cardiovascular risks as a result of inhalation of particulate matter,” states the AHA article.

Other variables such as alcohol use, tobacco consumption, e-cigarette usage and demographic factors were considered. The study sought out the association of self-reported cardiovascular issues with cannabis use over the previous 30 days.

“Cannabis has strong, statistically significant associations with adverse cardiovascular outcomes independent of tobacco use and controlling for a range of demographic factors and outcomes,” concludes the AHA study.

Cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and in 24 states for recreational use.

“Increasing availability of cannabis may result in increased consumption and health harms, especially among populations with below-average consumption rates,” a Rutgers Addiction Research Center study found in January.