Daily cannabis use linked to boosted risk of heart disease

Daily use of cannabis has been linked in a new study to a significant increase in heart disease.

People who used marijuana daily were found to be 34% more likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD) than those who have never used the drug, according to research findings released Friday that will be presented at an upcoming conference of the American College of Cardiology and the World Congress of Cardiology.

Monthly cannabis use, however, was not associated with a significant increase in the risk of coronary artery disease, which is the most common form of heart disease, according to the research.

The Stanford University study, which has not yet been published, is among, the largest and most comprehensive investigation of cannabis heart effects to date as marijuana becomes increasingly legal throughout the U.S.

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“In terms of the public health message, it shows that there are probably certain harms of cannabis use that weren’t recognized before, and people should take that into account," Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, a Stanford University resident physician and the study’s lead author, said in a statement.

“We found that cannabis use is linked to CAD, and there seems to be a dose-response relationship in that more frequent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of CAD,” he added.

Researchers analyzed detailed health information and the habits of 175,000 people provided by the National Institutes of Health. The heart disease findings were adjusted for age, sex and major cardiovascular risk factors. But the study did not differentiate between methods of consuming cannabis, from smoking to eating.

Previous studies have indicated that THC — which triggers the psychoactive effects of cannabis — acts on receptors in the central nervous system, and in the heart and blood vessels. That interaction may be linked to increased inflammation and plaque, which could lead to coronary artery disease.

The good news is that increasing information from research may lead to "new drug targets and mechanisms we can explore to take control of this pathway going forward,” Paranjpe said.