Marijuana increases risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke: Report

New Delhi: New studies presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia have revealed findings regarding older adults who use marijuana but do not smoke tobacco. The research indicates that older adults with such habit are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke when hospitalised, while daily marijuana users have a 34 per cent increased likelihood of developing heart failure, reported a news agency.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued recommendations urging people to avoid smoking or vaping any substances, including cannabis products, due to the potential risks posed to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

“Observational data are strongly pointing to the fact that … cannabis use at any point in time, be it recreational or medicinal, may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease,” Robert Page II, chair of the volunteer writing group for the 2020 American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Medical Marijuana, Recreational Cannabis, and Cardiovascular Health, said in a statement according to CNN.

“The latest research about cannabis use indicates that smoking and inhaling cannabis increases concentrations of blood carboxyhemoglobin (carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas), tar (partly burned combustible matter) similar to the effects of inhaling a tobacco cigarette, both of which have been linked to heart muscle disease, chest pain, heart rhythm disturbances, heart attacks and other serious conditions,” he added.

The use of marijuana is increasing among older adults. According to a study from 2020, the number of American seniors aged over 65 who smoke marijuana or consume edibles has doubled between 2015 and 2018. Another study conducted in 2023 revealed a 450 per cent rise in past-month binge drinking and marijuana use among the over-65 population from 2015 to 2019.

Close to 30 per cent of marijuana users experience a condition known as cannabis use disorder, where they encounter symptoms such as food cravings or loss of appetite, irritability, restlessness, and mood and sleep disturbances upon quitting, as outlined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.