As more U.S. states legalize medical cannabis and recreational marijuana use, the American Heart Association issued a warning: regular intake may damage heart and brain health.
Two new studies, by separate research groups, shed light on the association for regular marijuana use with risk for heart failure, heart attack and stroke.
According to a release from the American Heart Association, the research highlights include:
- Two new studies suggest occasional to frequent marijuana use may damage the heart and brain health.
- In one study, daily use of marijuana raised the risk of developing heart failure by about one-third, even after considering other factors, compared to people who reported never using marijuana.
- In a second study, older people with any combination of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol who used marijuana, significantly increased their risk for a major acute heart or brain event while hospitalized, compared to those who reported not using marijuana.
