Heart Health
Marijuana use disorder may raise the risk of heart problems
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- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Up to three in 10 people who use marijuana (also called cannabis) may be unable to stop using the drug, even when it has harmful effects on their lives. A new study suggests that this problem — known as cannabis use disorder (CUD) — is linked to a substantially higher risk of cardiovascular problems.
The study included nearly 60,000 people registered in Canadian health databases. About half of them had CUD. Researchers found that compared to people without CUD, those with CUD were about 60% more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems.
Published online Sept. 27, 2023, in the journal Addiction, the results do not provide evidence of cause and effect. However, earlier research has implicated marijuana use in raising blood pressure and causing a range of heart-related problems (see "Cannabis: A cardiovascular concern?" in the July 2023 Heart Letter).
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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