Cannabis abuse increases the risk of coronary heart disease

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The American College of Cardiology study, in conjunction with the World Congress of Cardiology, is one of the largest and most comprehensive to date to explore the potential long-term effects of drug use on the cardiovascular system. Coronary heart disease CHD is the most common form of heart disease and occurs when the arteries that supply the heart with blood narrow due to a buildup of cholesterol. CAD usually causes chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue and can lead to a heart attack.

“We found that cannabis use is associated with CHD, and there seems to be a dose-response relationship in that more frequent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of CHD,” – said study lead author Ishan Paranjpe, MD and resident physician at Stanford University. “From a public health standpoint, this shows that there are probably some harms from cannabis use that have not been previously recognized, and people should be aware of this.”

Using data from the All of Us Research Program The National Institutes of Health, which includes detailed information on the health and habits of 175,000 people, the researchers first analyzed the relationship between the frequency of cannabis use and the incidence of CHD. They then used genetically based Mendelian randomization to identify a causal relationship between cannabis use disorder and CHD risk.

The results showed that daily cannabis users were 34% more likely to develop CHD higher than those who have never used marijuana. In contrast, monthly cannabis use was not associated with a significant increase in the risk of coronary artery disease.

Based on these findings, the researchers said it is important that people know that cannabis use is associated with risks and be sure to tell their doctor, if they use cannabis so that health professionals can take appropriate steps to monitor their heart health.
The datasets used in this study did not distinguish between forms of cannabis use.

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