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An American study reveals that cannabis users are three times more likely to develop peripheral arterial disease, a disorder linked to the deposition of cholesterol in the arteries.
Studies carried out on more than 600,000 cannabis users indicate that they have an increased risk of developing peripheral arterial disease. This pathology corresponds to a partial or total blockage of an artery caused by an accumulation of fat in the wall of the arterial vessels located on the periphery of the aorta (in the upper and lower limbs, and in the brain).
This disease most often affects the legs. The main symptom is pain when walking or during sports, localized in one leg, in the calf or thigh. This disappears at rest.
Well-known risk factors
The authors of this study insist that this high risk of peripheral arterial disease concerns all cannabis smokers, including the youngest. Indeed, the participants in this study were on average 38 years old.
Important data when we know that this type of vascular disease more frequently affects people aged 60 and over, with a higher risk for those who:
- smoke;
- suffer from hypertension;
- have high cholesterol;
- have diabetes;
- suffer from atherosclerosis.
Symptoms that should alert young people
Dr. Hirva Vyas, co-author of the study, alerts young cannabis users to the little-known symptoms of peripheral arterial disease: “UA young adult who experiences leg pain when walking will most often associate it with a muscle cramp or sprain, but not with vascular disease”. The doctor advises cannabis users to consult a doctor quickly if they experience this kind of symptom because it could be peripheral arterial disease.
However, the study states that no causal link could be established between cannabis use and peripheral arterial disease. Moreover, these works do not mention the mode of cannabis consumption of the participants in the study. It is therefore not known whether this increased risk has been observed more in cannabis smokers or more in people who ingest it, or even in cannabis and tobacco smokers.
Asked by the health information site, Healthline, Dr. Claudia Martinez-Bermudez, cardiologist, commented on the results of this study, indicating that more in-depth research should be undertaken to explain how cannabis can act on vascular risk. “Some products could be more harmful than others, depending on the levels of THC and CBD contained inside”.
Cannabis and cardiovascular risk
This is not the first time that a study has shown that cannabis increases cardiovascular risk. A study published in 2021 in the journal Canadian Medical Association Journal reported that recent cannabis use increased the risk of heart attack in young adults.
Another study published in April 2022 showed that smoking cannabis activated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.
Also, the increase in cardiovascular risk induced by cannabis consumption is to be linked with combustion. “Anything smoked releases poisonous gases like carbon monoxide. It is these gases that are bad for the cardiovascular system. Also, cannabis resin can sometimes contain toxic substances unknown to the consumer, and harmful to their health.“, says Dr. Christelle Peybernard, addiction psychiatrist.