Does Marijuana Influence CV Risk?

There is currently not enough evidence to determine whether marijuana use is associated with an increase or decrease in cardiovascular (CV) risk, according to the findings of a recent systematic review.

PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published between January 1, 1975, and September 30, 2017. The researchers identified and evaluated a total of 13 studies on the association between marijuana use and CV risk factors, as well as 11 studies on the relationship between marijuana use and clinical outcomes.
__________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Smoking Cessation Drug Raises Risk of CV Events
USPSTF Updates 2012 CVD Screening Recommendations
__________________________________________________________________________________

Four independent reviewers analyzed study characteristics and quality. Consensus grading was used to rate the strength of evidence for each outcome.

A potential metabolic benefit from marijuana use was suggested by findings from 6 studies. However, these studies, which were based on cross-sectional designs, were not supported by prospective studies.

The researchers ultimately deemed available evidence on the effect of marijuana on diabetes, acute myocardial infarction, mortality, and various other conditions as insufficient, noting that any available long-term prospective studies were limited by recall bias and other factors.

“Evidence examining the effect of marijuana on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes, including stroke and myocardial infarction, is insufficient,” the researchers concluded.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Ravi D, Ghasemiesfe M, Korenstein D, Cascino T, Keyhani S. Associations between marijuana use and cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes: a systematic review [Published online January 23, 2018]. Ann Intern Med. doi:10.7326/M17-1548.