Cannabis-related Heart Attack Higher in Young People
Those Under 45 Years Old Who Consume Cannabis at Almost Double the Risk for Cannabis-related Heart Attack – LPC
A new Canadian study found that risk of a cannabis-related heart attack almost doubles in people under 45. There is a stronger associated risk in more frequent cannabis consumers. However, they study’s researchers found, the risk is still extremely low. Dr. Karim Ladha is one of those authors and a clinical scientist at Unity Health Toronto.
“We know there are lots of people using cannabis and not everybody is dropping dead from a heart attack,” Dr. Ladha said. “But I think it’s something important that healthcare providers need to be aware of and counsel patients on. And it’s something we need to share with the public so they understand that there is a risk.”
Researchers looked at data from a survey of over 33,000 adults aged 18 to 44 conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of those, 17 per cent reported cannabis use in the past 30 days. Heart attack was reported in 1.3 per cent of cannabis users, compared to 0.8 per cent of non-users.
The researchers said their findings align with previous studies linking heavy cannabis consumption with greater risk of heart attack. Further, they found that cannabis-related heart attack risk was similar regardless of the consumption method including smoking, vaping and eating edibles.
The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published the results on September 7, 2021.
Cannabis-related Heart Attack Risk Not the Only One Considered – LPC
Dr. Ladha said that the researchers took other risk factors into account when calculating the risk of cannabis-related heart attack. For example, the study found that cannabis consumers tend to be male, smoke cigarettes, and be relatively heavy drinkers. These factors can all contribute to increased heart attack risk as well.
“Really what we wanted to do was look at a dataset that was generalizable to a larger population,” Dr. Ladha said. “We were able to look at the frequency of use and show that how frequently you used it was actually associated with your risk of having a heart attack.
“We feel pretty confident that after (applying) all these different statistical techniques, this is indeed a real association that is present,” he said.
Research into Cannabis-related Heart Attack Risk Adds to Medical Knowledge – LPC
Research into cannabis-related heart attack and similar subjects adds to our medical knowledge. That is important in itself. The CMAJ itself has pressed for more cannabis research. In 2019, it stated that there wasn’t enough research into the medical risks and benefits of cannabis. Although cannabis research is easier now in Canada, it is still difficult in the United States where cannabis is illegal at the federal level. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has to sign off on any cannabis research in the States – and their process is notoriously slow. Several scientists have come out to say that restricting cannabis research is a danger to public health.
One thing this latest study doesn’t do is weigh the cannabis-related heart attack risk against other benefits. Cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating a number of health conditions including PTSD, epilepsy, and even possibly act as a COVID inhibitor.
But the evidence isn’t conclusive in many cases. That’s why continuing research is so important. As with any substance, cannabis consumers deserve to know if there is a higher cannabis-related heart attack risk, however small that may be. It’s all part of safer, healthier cannabis use here in Canada and around the world.
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