A new study has shown that consuming marijuana every day can raise a person’s risk of coronary artery disease by over a third when compared to those who never smoke marijuana. “A growing body of evidence suggests that cannabis is not entirely without harm and may actually cause cardiovascular disease…Thus, the decision to use cannabis must be carefully weighed against the potential for serious heart disease,” said leady study author Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, resident physician at Stanford University.
Corony artery disease (CAD) is caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. CAD is the number one most common type of heart disease and effects over 20 million Americans over the age of 21 each year. Some signs of this disease include chest pain, feeling weak or dizzy, and experiencing shortness of breath. Often more uncommon, but another sign of CAD is a heart attack, says the CDC.
The study included multiple categories for cannabis users. Those who are daily users (4,736 people), weekly users (2,720 people), monthly users (2,075), those who used once or twice within three months(8,749 people), and finally those who never used cannabis (39,678 people). The researchers took initial records and then compared the results to the same tests a few years later. The researchers found that cannabis users were 34% more likely to be diagnosed with CAD when compared to those who have never used cannabis before.
People who use once a month or less were at no significant risk said the study. The researchers also took into consideration many different factors such as age, sex, cholesterol, obesity, and other things. After consideration, the research held true regardless of these factors.
More information on this topic is sure to come within the next few months as more studies become published.
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