Canadian adults with cannabis use disorder have a 60 per cent increased risk of a first major cardiovascular event compared with people without the disorder, new research shows. The study, based on data from nearly 60,000 participants, highlights that cannabis users who consider themselves healthy are particularly at risk.
Canadian adults with a cannabis use disorder appear to have about a 60 per cent higher risk of a first heart attack, stroke or other major cardiovascular event than those without a cannabis use disorder, a new study finds.
The study, published September 27 in the journal Addiction, measured the association between problematic marijuana use and the first occurrence of adverse cardiovascular disease events, such as heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias and peripheral vascular disease.
The researchers used five Canadian health databases to create a cohort of nearly 60,000 participants, half of whom were diagnosed with cannabis use disorder and the other half who were not diagnosed with cannabis use disorder and who were matched to the health system for gender, year of birth and time of presentation. People with previous adverse cardiovascular disease events were excluded. Participants were followed from January 2012 to December 2019. Among people with cannabis use disorder, 2.4% (721 people) experienced a first cardiovascular disease event, compared with 1.5% (458 people) of those not exposed to cannabis.
Among people with cannabis use disorder, those with no comorbidities, no prescription medications, and fewer than five doctor visits in the past six months had a higher risk of first-time cardiovascular disease, which was about 1.4 times higher than other people with cannabis use disorder. This may be because these people think they are healthy and may not take any action or even notice the warning signs that a heart attack, stroke, or other major cardiovascular event is about to occur.
The study's lead author, Dr. Anees Bahji, emphasized the significance of these findings for public health and clinical practice. "Our study does not provide enough information to say that cannabis use disorder causes adverse cardiovascular disease events, but we can say that Canadians with cannabis use disorder appear to be at a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those without the disorder."
This study contributes to the ongoing conversation around the health effects of cannabis use disorder and its potential links to cardiovascular health.