A recent study has linked cannabis use to an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including heart attack and stroke.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke rose with any form of cannabis use, with heavier use correlating to higher odds of negative outcomes.

Details of the Study

According to the study, daily cannabis users had a 25% higher chance of experiencing a heart attack and a 42% higher risk of stroke compared to non-users. Lead author Abra Jeffers, a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, expressed concern over the decreasing perception of the harmfulness of cannabis use, especially as previous research has suggested a link between cannabis and cardiovascular disease.

The study analyzed survey data from 430,000 U.S. adults aged 18 to 74, collected between 2016 and 2020. The data allowed researchers to control for other cardiovascular risk factors and tobacco use, revealing a similar association among never-tobacco smokers.

Warnings and Limitations

Jeffers emphasized that cannabis smoke is not significantly different from tobacco smoke, except for the psychoactive drug involved. She warned that smoking cannabis carries significant cardiovascular risks, similar to smoking tobacco, a fact that is particularly important given the increasing use of cannabis and decreasing use of conventional tobacco.

The study did have some limitations, leading researchers to call for more longitudinal studies.

Robert L. Page, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, said the findings should serve as a “call to action for all practitioners,” and added that the study “adds to the growing literature that cannabis use and cardiovascular disease may be a potentially hazardous combination.”

Read more at CBS News.