Role of cannabis in cardiovascular disorders
Summary & key facts
This paper reviews what is known about how cannabis affects the heart and blood vessels. It says cannabis can cause dangerous irregular heartbeats and may raise the chance of having a heart attack or a stroke. These risks seem larger when people also smoke cigarettes or do intense exercise soon after using cannabis. The authors say the evidence is mixed, synthetic cannabis products are controversial, and more research and public awareness are needed—especially for young people.
- Cannabis use has been linked to abnormal heart rhythms, including a fast, dangerous rhythm called ventricular tachycardia, and in some reports to sudden death.
- Cannabis consumption has been reported to increase the risk of having a heart attack.
- Short-term cannabis use can raise the top number of blood pressure (systolic blood pressure) and can cause a drop in blood pressure when standing, which is called orthostatic hypotension.
- The risk of heart problems after using cannabis appears higher when people also smoke cigarettes and when they do heavy physical activity, especially in the first few hours after using it.
- Cannabis use has been associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, and this has been reported even in otherwise healthy young people.
- Synthetic cannabinoids (man-made chemicals that act like cannabis) are being studied for medical use, but it is unclear whether their medical benefits outweigh their possible heart and blood vessel harms.
- Overall, the review finds that the effects of cannabis on the heart and circulation are not well understood, and the authors call for more research and better public awareness about these possible risks.
Abstract
The growing popularity of medical and recreational consumption of cannabis, especially among the youth, raises immediate concerns regarding its safety and long-terms effects. The cardiovascular effects of cannabis are not well known. Cannabis consumption has been shown to cause arrhythmia including ventricular tachycardia, and potentially sudden death, and to increase the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). These effects appear to be compounded by cigarette smoking and precipitated by excessive physical activity, especially during the first few hours of consumption. Cannabinoids, or the active compounds of cannabis, have been shown to have heterogeneous effects on central and peripheral circulation. Acute cannabis consumption has been shown to cause an increase in blood pressure, specifically systolic blood pressure (SBP), and orthostatic hypotension. Cannabis use has been reported to increase risk of ischemic stroke, particularly in the healthy young patients. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is currently considered as a promising therapeutic target in the management of several disease conditions. Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are being increasingly investigated for their therapeutic effects; however, the value of their benefits over possible complications remains controversial. Despite the considerable research in this field, the benefits of cannabis and its synthetic derivatives remains questionable even in the face of an increasingly tolerating attitude towards recreational consumption and promotion of the therapeutic complications. More efforts are needed to increase awareness among the public, especially youth, about the cardiovascular risks associated with cannabis use and to disseminate the accumulated knowledge regarding its ill effects.
