Cannabis is bad for the heart—should the risk be taken more seriously?
Cannabis use significantly increases a person’s risk of adverse outcomes, according to a new systematic analysis of 24 different studies.
The findings, published in Heart, included data from 17 cross-section studies, six cohort studies and one case-control study performed from 2016 to 2023.[1] Overall, using cannabis—for medical reasons or otherwise—was linked to a 29% greater risk of acute coronary syndrome and 20% greater risk of stroke. A person’s risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, meanwhile, appears to more than double if they use cannabis.
“This exhaustive analysis of published data on the potential association between cannabis use and the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) provides new insights from real-world data,” wrote first author Wilhelm Storck, a researcher with the University of Toulouse on France, and colleagues. “Focusing on the most recent available data aimed at providing an accurate perspective of the current situation, given the recent evolutions in the modalities of cannabis use and profiles of cannabis users. Focusing on MACE enhanced the relevance of interpretation since it is based on cardiovascular disorders with similar pathophysiological characteristics. Our findings are consistent with those from previous reviews, which outlined a positive association between cannabis use and cardiovascular disorders. The increased awareness of this potential risk among cannabis users should encourage investigating such use in all patients presenting with serious cardiovascular disorders.”
Why cannabis use should be viewed as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease
In a separate editorial, also published in Heart, two clinicians emphasized that the time has come for cannabis to be consistently viewed as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.[2]
“Cannabis use, like tobacco and alcohol use, should be assessed in all patients,” wrote Stanton Glantz, PhD, and Lynn Silver, MD, both with the University of California San Francisco. “At least in the USA, health professionals are the most influential source of cannabis information regardless of patient age, cannabis use or state legal status, making it important for clinicians to ask about use, educate all patients about cannabis risks and take cannabis use into account in clinical decision-making.”
Any guidelines focused on helping patients reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease should specifically call out the risks of cannabis use, the two authors added. In addition, these risks should be part of the regulation process for cannabis products.
“Effective product warnings and education on risks must be developed, required and implemented,” they wrote. “Cardiovascular and other health risks must be considered in the regulation of allowable product and marketing design as the evidence base grows. Today that regulation is focused on establishing the legal market with woeful neglect of minimizing health risks. Specifically, cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalized, but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure.”
Click here to read the full study and here for the editorial.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.