Does marijuana use increase the risk of heart attack and heart disease? That's the conclusion reached recently by researchers at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. The results of the study caused considerable consternation because they say that THC use significantly increases the risk of heart attack and heart disease. Interestingly, the researchers also found a substance that significantly reduces this risk. However, the way the study was conducted leaves much to be desired which could have a significant impact on the results. Here's more information.
Marijuana use increases the risk of heart attack? Results of latest study
The results of a recent study conducted by Stanford researchers say that people who use marijuana have an increased risk of heart disease and heart attack.
The results of the study say that the psychotropic component of marijuana, THC, causes inflammation in the endothelial cells lining the inside of blood vessels. Atherosclerosis was also found in lab mice given THC.
As more and more states legalize the recreational use of marijuana, users need to be aware of the potential cardiovascular side effects
- Said Dr. Joseph Wu, professor of cardiovascular medicine and radiology and director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
Study and methodology
The researchers analyzed the genetic and medical data of some 500,000 people aged 40-69. The data came from the UK Biobank. Nearly 35,000 participants reported smoking marijuana, about 11,000 smoked more than once a month. According to the survey results, those who smoked more than once a month were significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack than other participants. In addition to marijuana use, two other factors were taken into account, namely body weight and gender. The researchers found that people who smoked marijuana were more likely to have had their first heart attack before the age of 50 called premature myocardial infarction, which increases the risk of heart attack and heart failure, as well as dangerous arrhythmias that can cause sudden death.
We are not scientists - that's a fact - but we can think and note that the methodology for conducting this study may have significantly affected the results. The study included 500,000 Britons whose medical records are in the UK Biobank database. Of this group, about 11,000 admitted to using marijuana more than once a month - this was one of the three factors taken into account, the other two being gender and weight, which has also been linked to heart disease. However, it is surprising that aspects such as diet, lifestyle, other stimulants used, genetics, stress levels and occupation were not taken into account.
Marijuana is an unheard of stimulant among athletes, both amateurs and top athletes. More powerful sports federations like the NBA and NHL are lifting marijuana from their lists of banned substances/doping substances. The fastest man on land and the fastest man in the water have admitted to regularly smoking marijuana. These people have been tested every now and then since the beginning of their careers, so something tells me that if cannabis really had such a significant impact on heart attack risk - it would have been noticed long ago.
Remember that cannabis is the second most popular stimulant in the world after alcohol regardless of its legal status, there are entire communities that have been using cannabis on a daily basis for decades. If marijuana raised the risk of heart attack and heart disease so much - it would have been noticed long ago.
History already remembers many scientists saying unbelievable things about marijuana that were never confirmed.
Interestingly, Stanford scientists have also discovered that heart attacks, inflammation and atherosclerosis caused by THC, can be offset by a small molecule called genistein, which occurs naturally in soybeans or beans. Because genistein has limited brain penetration, it doesn't inhibit the effects of marijuana, it only eliminates the risk of disease, the researchers said.
