Patients hospitalized for heart failure who have cannabis use disorder (CUD) are significantly more likely to experience cardiogenic shock, acute myocardial infarction, and arrhythmias than those without the condition. The corresponding study was presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2025 Scientific Sessions.
“Despite major public health campaigns to raise awareness for the harms of tobacco and cannabis, usage is still commonplace as we continue to see their effects on cardiovascular health. This new research presented at SCAI’s 2025 Scientific Sessions is vital for quantifying the burden tobacco and cannabis use have on certain communities, prompting tailored action and additional education for the patients that need it the most.,” said SCAI President James B. Hermiller, MD, MSCAI in a press release.
For the study, researchers analyzed National Inpatient Sample data from over 1.3 million patients who had been admitted to hospital for heart failure between 2016 and 2020. Patients were split into two groups according to whether or not they had CUD. Altogether, 1.4% of patients had the condition.
Ultimately, the researchers found that patients with cannabis use disorder were 27% likely to experience cardiogenic shock, 50% more likely to experience acute myocardial infarction, and 48% more likely to experience arrhythmias than those without the condition. They also found, however, that patients with CUD had a 50% lower mortality rate and a 75% lower rate of respiratory failure.
“We were surprised to discover individuals with cannabis use disorder and heart failure are at a lower risk of mortality than those without the disorder,” lead author of the study, Syed Ishaq, MD, Internal Medicine resident at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, said in a press release.
“However, despite a lower chance of death, they are at significantly greater odds of developing other related cardiovascular conditions like heart attack or irregular heartbeat. This understanding is necessary for doctors and public health professionals to warn individuals of the potential side effects of consistent cannabis use from the start, even before heart failure occurs,” he added.
Sources: EurekAlert
