A new study has found that young people who use cannabis have a much higher risk of serious heart problems, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.
The analysis, which followed 4.6 million patients for three years, found that those who use cannabis have a six-fold increased risk of suffering a heart attack compared to those who rarely or never use it.
Cannabis users are also four times more likely to suffer a fatal stroke and twice as likely to develop heart failure.
Dr. Ibrahim Kamel of Boston University, the lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of considering cannabis use as a major risk factor for cardiovascular health, alongside other known factors such as obesity and family history.
Researchers believe that the active ingredient in cannabis, THC, which is responsible for the "high," may trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which increases heart rate and blood pressure, putting strain on the heart over time.
The findings align with previous research suggesting that cannabis users are at least a third more likely to develop heart disease. Ironically, this increased risk was particularly pronounced in patients under the age of 50, a group typically considered at low risk for heart problems.
The study's author also conducted a larger, separate analysis using data from 75 million patients worldwide. It found that cannabis users were 50% more likely to have a heart attack than non-users, with the highest risk occurring within an hour of consumption.
Dr. Kamel emphasized that asking about cannabis use should become part of doctors' routine to understand patients' overall cardiovascular risk, just as asking about tobacco use is done - GazetaExpress reports the study.
However, the study authors acknowledge that further research is needed to confirm these findings. They point out that the patient data analyzed did not take into account important factors, such as the timing or amount of cannabis used, or other substances that users may have consumed at the same time, which can affect heart health.
While the full results of Dr. Kamel's analysis have not yet been published, they are expected to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session in Chicago later this month.
In the UK, medical use of cannabis has been legal for almost seven years, but non-medical use remains illegal. Only a small number of prescriptions have been issued in the last five years. Meanwhile, cannabis remains the most commonly used drug among adults aged 16 to 59 in England and Wales.
In the US, cannabis use has experienced a rapid increase in popularity, with recreational use now legal in 24 states and medical use permitted in 39. The rise in cannabis use has paralleled a worrying increase in cardiovascular events in young people.
Other research also links cannabis use to serious mental health problems, including schizophrenia and depression, raising further concerns about its long-term consequences on physical and mental health.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in both the US and the UK. In the UK, there are around 100,000 hospital admissions each year due to heart attacks, and cardiovascular disease causes around 170,000 deaths each year.
In the US, over 800,000 people suffer a heart attack each year, and heart disease is responsible for one-fifth of all deaths.
The rise in heart attacks and strokes among young people has been a major concern. In both the US and the UK, cases of heart attacks and strokes among those under 50 have seen a significant increase in recent years, with factors such as obesity, the impact of Covid-19 and rising stress levels likely contributing to this trend.
The study findings highlight the importance of considering cannabis use as a risk factor when assessing cardiovascular health, especially as the drug's popularity continues to grow. /Express newspaper/
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