Cannabis Use Tied to Higher Risk of Heart Attack in Two Studies

Two new studies are adding to concerns over the link between the risk of heart attack and cannabis use.

A retrospective study of over 4.6 million people and a meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies both point toward a correlation. The study found that cannabis users under the age of 50 were “over six times as likely to suffer a heart attack,” and the meta-analysis showed a “50% increased risk among those who used the drug.” At the same time, marijuana use continues to rise in the U.S.

The research team conducted the retrospective study with data from TriNetX, which provides access to global electronic health records. Their findings “indicate that over an average follow-up of over three years, cannabis users had more than a sixfold increased risk of heart attack, fourfold increased risk of ischemic stroke, twofold increased risk of heart failure and threefold increased risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke. All study participants were younger than age 50 and free of significant cardiovascular comorbidities at baseline.”

The meta-analysis utilized data from 12 previously published research studies that encompassed over 75 million people. Seven of the 12 studies “found a significant positive association between cannabis use and heart attack incidence, while four showed no significant difference and one showed a slightly negative association. When the researchers pooled the data from all studies and analyzed it together, they found a significant positive association, with active cannabis users being 1.5 times as likely to suffer a heart attack compared with those who aren't current users.”

Researchers emphasized that “additional prospective studies would help to confirm the findings and determine which groups may face the highest risk.”