French Study Suggests Marijuana Use Can Lead To Heart Disease

A French study suggests that the use of marijuana can lead to heart and artery disease in both young and middle aged adults. The research team looked over cases of marijuana abuse between 2006 and 2010 identifying 35 users who did end up with some heart trouble, 20 of which had heart attacks and 9 of which died.

The heart disease cases among marijuana abusers tripled in the above mentioned time frame from 1.1 percent to 3.6 percent. In approximately 50 percent of cases the abusers already had a number of risk factors like high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Researchers reported that the find should be further analyzed, particularly due to the fact that marijuana is becoming an increasingly popular medicinal plant, legalized and prescribed by more and more doctors across the world.

Marijuana legalization supporters have called the study weak considering the small percentage of pot users who also have existing heart problems. The study looked at over 1,979 marijuana abuse reports over a five year period. Just 35 cases showed complications and aggravation of certain heart conditions.

The participants where mostly male with an average age of 34 years. From the 35 reported complications 22 where cardiovascular, 10 involved limb arteries while three where related to arteries found in the brain.

Posted by George Daniels on Sunday April 27 2014, 3:17 AM EST. Ref: philly. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0