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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
While its consumption tends to become commonplace, cannabis actually presents health dangers. According to a recent study, it increases the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction.
Cannabis is periodically the subject of debate regarding its possible legalization in France, but a recent study reminds us that it is not without effects on health, particularly cardiovascular.
Does cannabis harm your heart?
Researchers analyzed data from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey of 434,104 U.S. adults from 2016 to 2020. They examined whether the number of days of cannabis use in the past 30 days was associated with self-reported cardiovascular conditions, such as coronary heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.
These figures were compared to the general adult population and in particular to people who had never smoked tobacco or used electronic cigarettes. The researchers were also particularly interested in men under 55 and women under 65, whether tobacco smokers or not.
Higher risk of heart attack and stroke
Results: Any marijuana use was linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, but people who used it most often also had the highest risk.
For example, adults who used marijuana daily had a 25% higher chance of having a heart attack and a 42% higher chance of stroke, compared to people who didn’t use marijuana at all.
Particularly harmful to the health of those over 55
Among tobacco-smoking men under 55 and women under 65, marijuana use led to a 36% increased risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
The risk was also greater in this age category for people who had never smoked tobacco. “Cannabis smoke is not that different from tobacco smoke, except for the psychoactive drug: THC versus nicotine“said study author Dr. Abra Jeffers.”Our study shows that smoking cannabis presents significant cardiovascular risks, just like smoking tobacco. This is particularly important as cannabis use increases and conventional tobacco use decreases“.
Dr Kierzek: “We must remember that cannabis remains a drug”
Dr. Robert L. Page II of the American Heart Association stated that ““Practitioners and clinicians should remember to assess cannabis use at every patient encounter in order to have a shared, non-judgmental decision-making conversation about potential cardiovascular risks and ways to reduce those risks.”
An opinion shared by Dr Gérald Kierzek. Asked about the results of this study, he recalls that: “Marijuana is a drug and like any drug, it has effects on health, particularly on the cardiovascular system. This study serves as a reminder that we cannot trivialize its use, which raises questions about the desire for its legalization in certain countries.”
Slide: Cannabis: how does it affect our body?