Recent scientific findings indicate that Canadian adults diagnosed with cannabis use disorder are subject to a 60% higher likelihood of encountering their initial significant cardiovascular event when contrasted with individuals not suffering from the disorder. Drawn from a dataset encompassing close to 60,000 subjects, the study accentuates an especially escalated risk among cannabis users who view themselves as being in good health.
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Association Between Cannabis Use Disorder and Elevated Cardiovascular Risk
A newly published research paper reveals that adults in Canada with cannabis use disorder have an estimated 60% increased probability of having their inaugural heart attack, stroke, or other significant cardiovascular event when compared to individuals not diagnosed with cannabis use disorder.
The study, made public on September 27 in the scholarly journal Addiction, evaluated the correlation between problematic cannabis consumption and the first-time onset of negative cardiovascular outcomes such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, cardiac arrhythmias, and peripheral arterial disease.
Research Design and Findings
The research team utilized five Canadian health repositories to assemble a cohort comprising nearly 60,000 participants. This group was evenly divided between individuals with and without a diagnosis of cannabis use disorder and was matched based on gender, birth year, and timing of their interaction with the healthcare system. Subjects with previous adverse cardiovascular incidents were not included in the study. The cohort was monitored from January 2012 until December 2019. Within the segment of individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, 2.4% (or 721 people) faced a first-time cardiovascular event, as opposed to 1.5% (or 458 people) in the control group.
Augmented Risk in Perceived Healthy Subgroup with Cannabis Use Disorder
In the subset of individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder, those without any concurrent medical conditions, without prescriptions, and with fewer than five healthcare visits in the past half-year exhibited an even greater risk of encountering their first significant cardiovascular event—approximately 1.4 times greater compared to the remainder of the cannabis use disorder cohort. This elevated risk may be attributed to the self-perception of these individuals as healthy, which could deter them from recognizing or acting upon the early warning indicators of an impending cardiovascular event.
Expert Commentary
Dr. Anees Bahji, the principal author of the study, underlined the import of these discoveries for public health policy and medical practice. “While our study does not furnish conclusive evidence to assert that cannabis use disorder directly results in adverse cardiovascular outcomes, it does indicate that Canadians diagnosed with cannabis use disorder seem to be at a markedly elevated risk for cardiovascular disease compared to those without the disorder.”
This research contributes to the ongoing scholarly conversation about the health ramifications of cannabis use disorder and its potential implications for cardiovascular well-being.
Reference and Funding
The study is titled “Cannabis use disorder and adverse cardiovascular outcomes: a population-based retrospective cohort analysis of adults from Alberta, Canada” and was authored by Anees Bahji, Josh Hathaway, Denise Adams, David Crockford, E. Jennifer Edelman, Michael D. Stein, and Scott B. Patten. It was published on September 27, 2023, in the journal Addiction with the DOI 10.1111/add.16337.
Dr. Bahji received doctoral research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship and the Alberta Innovates Foundations from the University of Calgary. Additionally, he obtained research grants through the Calgary Health Trust. Dr. Patten is the beneficiary of the Cuthbertson & Fischer Chair in Pediatric Mental Health at the University of Calgary. Funding and support for a joint position held by J. Hathaway was furnished through a collaboration between the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM) Prairies Node and the CRISM-Alberta Health Services (AHS) Advancement in Analytics in Addiction Partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cannabis Use Disorder and Cardiovascular Risk
What is the primary finding of the recent study on cannabis use disorder and cardiovascular events?
The primary finding reveals that Canadian adults diagnosed with cannabis use disorder have a 60% increased likelihood of experiencing their first significant cardiovascular event compared to those without the disorder.
Who conducted the study and where was it published?
The study was led by Dr. Anees Bahji and was published in the scholarly journal Addiction on September 27, 2023.
How many participants were included in the study?
The study included a cohort of nearly 60,000 participants, half of whom were diagnosed with cannabis use disorder and the other half were not. These groups were matched by gender, year of birth, and time of presentation to the healthcare system.
What specific cardiovascular events were considered in the study?
The study considered first-time occurrences of adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, and peripheral arterial disease.
Was the risk consistent across all individuals with cannabis use disorder?
No, the risk was particularly elevated—approximately 1.4 times higher—among individuals with cannabis use disorder who had no other co-occurring medical conditions, no prescriptions, and fewer than five healthcare visits in the preceding six months.
Does the study prove that cannabis use disorder causes cardiovascular events?
The study does not provide conclusive evidence that cannabis use disorder directly causes cardiovascular events. However, it does indicate a significantly elevated risk of such events among those with the disorder.
What databases were used to collect the study’s data?
Five Canadian health databases were utilized to assemble the cohort for this study.
What is the timeframe over which the study’s participants were tracked?
Participants were monitored from January 2012 to December 2019.
Who funded the research?
Dr. Anees Bahji received doctoral research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship and the Alberta Innovates Foundations from the University of Calgary. Additional funding and support came through various other partnerships and grants.
How does this study contribute to existing knowledge?
The study adds to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the health implications of cannabis use disorder, particularly focusing on its potential association with increased cardiovascular risks.
More about Cannabis Use Disorder and Cardiovascular Risk
- Published Study in Addiction Journal
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship
- Alberta Innovates Foundations
- University of Calgary Research Funding
- Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM)
- Alberta Health Services (AHS) Advancement in Analytics in Addiction Partnership
- Cardiovascular Disease Information
- Cannabis Use Disorder: An Overview
6 comments
Dr Bahji got funding from a lot of reputable places for this research. Makes me think this isn’t just some fly-by-night study. gotta consider the findings seriously.
Is anyone else wondering what qualifies as ‘cannabis use disorder’? Like, how much do you have to use to be at risk? The article doesn’t really get into that.
Its almost 2024, and we’re still figuring out the health risks of cannabis. Just goes to show, legal doesn’t always mean safe, people.
Wow, this is kinda scary. I mean, who woulda thought that cannabis use disorder could be linked to something as serious as heart problems? Makes you rethink stuff.
so if I’m reading this right, even people who think they’re healthy could be at risk? thats something to watch out for, for sure.
oh man, those numbers can’t be ignored. 60% higher risk is huge! But how reliable is this study, really? Just asking.