People who regularly smoke medical marijuana may be increasing their risk for a heart attack, heart failure or stroke, new research suggests.
"Patients and physicians should be mindful about these events as we have seen that more patients are being started on marijuana," said Dr. Avilash Mondal, an internist at Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia and lead researcher of the first study. He suspects, however, that smoking marijuana may have the same effects as cigarette smoking, including an increased risk of major heart events.From data on 157,000 marijuana users, his team found that over four years of follow-up, nearly 2% developed heart failure. People who used cannabis daily had a 34% increased risk compared with those who never used it.
Armentano noted that a study published in the October issue of the journal Circulation found no increased risk of heart issues among marijuana users. Other studies have also failed to show an association between the drug and cardiovascular events, he said. "Of course, legal cannabis markets also now offer a variety of non-inhalable formulations of cannabis-infused products as well," he added.