Previous research has highlighted risks between cannabis use and cardiovascular health, including a higher risk of heart attack, cardiogenic shock, and arrhythmias. Despite this, however, knowledge gaps exist on the magnitude of the associated risk for those who use cannabis.
In the current study, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the link between major adverse cardiovascular events and cannabis use. They analyzed 24 articles, including 17 cross-sectional studies, 6 cohort studies, and one case-control study.
Altogether, the studies included over 432 million patients with an average of 38 years old. Cannabis users were predominantly male and tended to be younger than non-users.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found that cannabis use was linked to a 210% higher risk of cardiovascular death. It was also linked to a 29% higher risk for acute coronary syndrome and a 20% higher risk for stroke.
“Our findings are consistent with those from previous reviews, which outlined a positive association between cannabis use and cardiovascular disorders,” wrote the researchers in their study.
The researchers acknowledged some limitations to their findings. They noted, for example, that a significant portion of the studies analyzed had a moderate to high risk of bias, primarily due to a lack of information regarding missing data. They added that cannabis use was poorly reported in the studies, which prevented their meta-analysis from assessing it.
Despite the limitations, however, the researchers say their study is an ‘exhaustive analysis of published data on the potential association between cannabis use and the occurrence of major cardiovascular events’.
“The increased awareness of this potential risk among cannabis users should encourage investigating such use in all patients presenting with serious cardiovascular disorders,” they concluded.
Sources: EurekAlert, Heart
