Cannabis increases the risk of coronary heart disease – breaking latest news

Those who consume marijuana daily increase the risk of coronary heart disease by 34% in subsequent years. The correlation between the daily intake of cannabis and the significant increase in cardiovascular problems, proven with a large American study on 175,000 people, has shown that “soft” drugs are actually “hard” for the heart.

The survey results indicate that those who use it daily Marijuana has a 34% increased risk of coronary heart disease compared to non-cannabis users, while sporadic monthly consumption is not associated with a significant increase. These data demonstrate that there are damages related to the use of this substance that have not yet been sufficiently investigated, but which should instead be known. We know that con other drugs, such as cocaine, cardiovascular damage is frequent and severeso much so that it resulted in a significant increase in the number of heart attacks in very young people, even under the age of 40. This new evidence is worrying, because it indicates that something similar could happen with the use of even more widespread drugs such as marijuana or hashish derived from cannabis. Moreover, we know that in the heart and vessels there are receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol, the mediator of the psychoactive effects of cannabis, which by interacting with these receptors seems able to induce local inflammation and therefore favor the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques which can cause coronary artery disease, he explains Pasquale Perrone Filardi, president of the Italian Society of Cardiology(SIC).

The study also carried out agenomic analysis of the participants to verify if there was an association between genetic traits of cannabis users and a greater possibility of incurring cardiovascular disease. Data demonstrate that there is a causal association: people genetically predisposed to a cannabis use disorder, in which daily use and there is an obvious dependence, have a higher probability of coronary heart disease, regardless of the concomitant use of tobacco and/or alcohol.
Similar correlations had already emerged recently with a greater risk of cardiovascular problems such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, stroke and pulmonary embolism and also important data indicating that the prolonged use of cannabis products is associated with a greater risk of atherosclerosis per ten years, especially in men. All this indicates the need to better study the mechanisms that could underlie cardiovascular damage from cannabis, adds Ciro Indolfi, past president of SIC.

The use of these drugs is very common and often begins at a very young age. These new data are worrying and require the dissemination of more information on the consequences of the use of these drugs: those who use cannabis should speak to their doctor to monitor their cardiovascular health, possibly implementing risk reduction strategies in the event of a disorder from cannabis abuse, conclude Perrone Filardi and Indolfi.