Marijuana use is associated with a heightened risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to new data published in The American Journal of Cardiology.
The authors suggest that findings from the study may explain the link between cannabis and cardiovascular events, including stroke and MI.
“Our results corroborate recent findings linking cannabis use to premature ASCVD, independent of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors or concomitant use of other drugs,” wrote lead author Travis M. Skipina, MD, of the department of internal medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine and colleagues.
Skipina et al. explored data from 7,159 patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey years 2011 to 2018.
The composite CVD risk was assessed using the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association 10-year ASCVD score.
Forty-eight percent of patients were men, and the median age was 37.8 years old.
In the analysis, nearly 63% of patients had ever used cannabis.
Meanwhile, any level of cannabis use was linked with a 60% increased chance of high-risk ASCVD score.
The authors observed a dose-response relation between increased use of cannabis and a higher risk of ASCVD.
Patients reporting greater than two uses per month had 79% increased chance of high risk of ASCVD score, and those who reported greater than one use per day had 87% increased odds of high-risk ASCVD score.
“Despite the known synergism between tobacco use and illicit drugs, such as cocaine and cannabis, our study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting the importance of facilitating a discussion among young cannabis users regarding their risk for development of ASCVD,” the authors concluded. “Because we excluded those with a history of CVD, our findings also have implications from a preventive cardiology standpoint.”
Read the entire study here.