Marijuana May Cause Heart Attacks Report Suggests
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October 3, 2014 in Health
Marijuana May Cause Heart Attacks Report Suggests
A new study recently released suggests that marijuana may cause heart attacks, especially in certain people who might be predisposed to have heart conditions.
The report supports earlier research linking marijuana to cardiovascular risks. A 21 year old man was at the root of the most recent data, which was published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine. The man presented at the emergency room with chest pain, and doctors found that he was having a heart attack. The man said he was a regular smoker of marijuana, and researchers concluded that the drug was most likely what contributed to his sudden cardiac event. Additionally, they cited six other reports of sudden heart attacks in young people following the use of the drug.
In 2001, Live Science reports, a more widespread study found that smoking marijuana raises the risk of heart attack by 4.8 times during the first 60 minutes immediately following inhalation.[/B] Researchers are concerned that people with undetected, underlying heart conditions could be at a greater risk than people who have no such condition.
Marijuana has recently been approved for pain management in many states, but its long term risks, especially in populations of people susceptible to cardiac problems, remains unknown. While it seems that heart attack risk stemming from the drug is rare in healthy people, those who may not be aware of an underlying condition could be placing themselves in danger if they use the drug.
In the case of the most recent report, the man said he had also used cocaine, which is another known trigger for sudden cardiac events. It is unknown if the combination of the two substances might have played a role in the man's condition. Researchers specifically noted that the man was also found to have elevated levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides, conditions which are highly unusual in a person of his age. Doctors think his marijuana use may have contributed to these factors as well.
A meta analyses of data collected over a four year period beginning in 2006 found that "there was a rise in the number of cases of cannabis-related cardiovascular complications reported in the literature, starting about 20 years ago."[/B] It seems that the evidence showing that marijuana may cause heart attacks is growing, but more research needs to be completed before any definite causation can be established.
