Risk of death from CVD skyrockets when women use cannabis
Women who regularly use cannabis face a heightened long-term risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer, according to new findings published in JAMA Network Open.[1] The risk of CVD mortality is especially high among these women.
These same trends were not seen in men.
“While the use of cannabis continues to gain popularity, its broader effects on public health within the general population are not yet fully understood,” wrote Alexandre Vallée, MD, PhD, a researcher with the department of epidemiology and public health at Foch Hospital in France.
Valle explored data from more than 120,000 adults who participated in the UK Biobank study. More than 54% of participants were women, and their mean age was 55 years old. The mean age among male participants, meanwhile, was 56 years old. The median follow-up period was nearly 12 years.
Overall, 3.8% of men and 1.9% of women reported that they were heavy cannabis users, which was defined as “daily or near daily use for at least a few months.” These individuals tended to be younger and smoke tobacco. They were less likely to drink alcohol or present with hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity or diabetes.
Over the course of the study, 2.53% of men and 1.45% of women died. Among men, 0.57% of those deaths were from CVD and 1.36% were from cancer. Among women, 0.19% of deaths were from CVD and 0.99% were from cancer.
After making adjustments for age and other key patient characteristics, women who were heavy cannabis users had hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.49 for all-cause mortality, 2.67 for CVD mortality and 1.61 for cancer mortality. For men, those same HRs were 1.28 for all-cause mortality, 0.98 for CVD mortality and 1.09 for cancer mortality.
One key detail from Vallée’s analysis was the fact that excluding participants who were current tobacco smokers or presented with hypertension, diabetes, obesity or previous CVD appeared to take away the increased mortality risks of mortality. When focused just on patients with diabetes, on the other hand, the heightened risk of CVD mortality returned with a whopping 2.92 HR.
“The potential connection between cannabis use and CVD mortality is biologically credible,” Vallée explained. “Research suggests that certain cannabinoids … may contribute to inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis development. Another contributing factor could be the increased exposure to carbon monoxide through cannabis smoking, leading to higher levels of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood.”
Vallée also provided additional insights into the potential relationship between cannabis use and CVD.
“Individuals who use cannabis are at an elevated risk of experiencing vessel ruptures, a condition exacerbated by the increased release of cerebral dopamine,” he wrote. “This increase can stimulate cerebral blood flow, lead to vasospasms, and cause vasoconstriction. However, comprehensive data on the association of cannabis use with other CVDs is still lacking.”
Click here to read the full study in JAMA Network Open.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.