TUESDAY, Sept. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Recent cannabis use is associated with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) among younger adults, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

Karim S. Ladha, M.D., from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues performed a cross-sectional study using pooled data from the 2017 and 2018 cohorts of the American Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey of U.S. adults to examine the association between recent cannabis use and MI. The association was also assessed after stratification by frequency of use and primary method of consumption.

The researchers found that 4,610 of 33,173 young adults (aged 18 to 44 years) reported recent cannabis use (17.5 percent). Compared with nonusers, recent cannabis users more often had a history of MI (1.3 versus 0.8 percent; adjusted odds ratio, 2.07). There were associations for a history of MI with cannabis use of more than four times per month and with smoking as the primary method of consumption (adjusted odds ratios, 2.31 and 2.01, respectively).

“With recent legalization and decriminalization, cannabis use is increasing in young adults in North America, and we do not fully know its effects on cardiovascular health,” Ladha said in a statement. “We found an association between recent cannabis use and myocardial infarction, which persisted across an array of robust sensitivity analyses.”

Two authors are principal investigators of a study into medical cannabis funded by Shoppers Drug Mart. Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
healthday

Author