Study Finds Link Between Cannabis Use and Increased Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

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As cannabis use becomes increasingly common for both recreational and medical purposes, investigators are taking a closer look at how it may affect long-term health — particularly heart health.

An analysis of recent research has found that cannabis use may be linked to an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes and even death related to heart or blood vessel problems.

“Previous studies reported on potential cannabis-related cardiovascular outcomes,” wrote corresponding author Emilie Jouanjus, Pharm.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Toulouse, France. “However, knowledge gaps remained on the magnitude of the associated risk for the people who use cannabis.”

The current study looked at 24 research articles published between 2016 and early 2023. These included a mix of cross-sectional (70.8%), cohort (25.0%) and case-control (4.2%) studies, all examining the impact of cannabis on heart-related health outcomes. The team of investigators focused on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), which include nonfatal heart attacks (also called acute coronary syndrome), nonfatal strokes and cardiovascular death. Most studies evaluated general cannabis use, although one looked specifically at medical cannabis.

The results showed several concerning associations. People who used cannabis had a 29% higher risk of heart attack or acute coronary syndrome compared with nonusers. They also had a 20% higher risk of stroke. Most strikingly, the risk of dying from a cardiovascular cause was more than double among cannabis users. These results remained significant even after accounting for other risk factors such as tobacco use, other drug use and preexisting medical conditions.

While the quality and design of the studies varied, the overall trend was clear: Cannabis use was associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing serious heart-related health events. The findings suggest that cannabis may play a role in increasing cardiovascular risk, even in people without a prior history of heart disease.

This doesn’t mean that every person who uses cannabis will have heart problems. However, it does highlight the need for caution — particularly among people who already have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, or who smoke tobacco or use other substances.

This study was one of the first to look at the possible connection between cannabis use and serious heart problems using real-world data and high-quality research methods. The goal was to better understand how cannabis might affect heart health, and the investigators followed international standards to make sure the analysis was as accurate as possible.

However, the team also pointed out some important limitations. Many of the studies they looked at didn’t provide clear or detailed information about how much cannabis people used, or how often. This made it hard to fully assess the effects of cannabis on heart health. Some of the studies also had issues with missing data or relied on patient self-reports, which can sometimes be inaccurate.

In addition, most of the studies were cross-sectional, meaning they only looked at a snapshot in time. This type of study can show a link between cannabis use and heart problems, but it can’t prove that cannabis caused the problems.

Despite these challenges, the research team believes their findings offer an important look at the current relationship between cannabis use and heart health. They encourage more research — and more conversations between patients and their doctors — about the potential heart risks associated with cannabis use.

“The findings outlined by this meta-analysis should enhance the general awareness of the potential of cannabis to cause cardiovascular harm,” the team concluded. “They call for the systematic investigation of cannabis use in all patients presenting with clinical pictures of serious cardiovascular disorders.”