Cannabis use increases risk of heart disease, study says – Cannabis | weed | marijuana

A recent study by the American College of Cardiology states that daily cannabis use increases the risk of heart disease. In particular, coronary artery disease (CHD), the most common form of heart disease. The study, which analyzed data from 175,000 people, said cannabis users were 34% more likely to develop heart disease.

Researchers claim that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) interacts with the body’s blood vessels and promotes inflammation and plaque build-up.

The study did not differentiate between smoking, vaping, edibles, or extracts. The researchers claim to have controlled for other factors such as alcohol and tobacco use.

Details of the study

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease in the United States. Symptoms of CHD include chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. CAD also increases your risk of having a heart attack.

“We found that cannabis use is associated with CAD, and there appears to be a dose-response relationship, as more frequent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of CAD,” said Ishan Paranjpe, MD, resident physician at Stanford University and the lead author of the study. “In terms of the public health message, this shows that there are likely certain harms of cannabis use that have not been previously recognized and people should take that into account.”

Researchers used existing data from the National Institutes of Health and then subjected them to Mendelian randomization, using genetic variants as instrumental variables to establish a causal relationship between daily cannabis use (which they define as a “disorder”) and increased CAD investigate risk.

Of course, this methodology has its problems.

Does cannabis increase the risk of heart disease?

While Mendelian randomization (MR) is gaining popularity in epidemiological research, it is not without criticism. Some potential criticisms of MR studies include the following:

1. Assumptions: MR is based on certain assumptions, such as B. that the genetic variant is strongly associated with the exposure of interest and is not related to other confounders. The results of the study may be skewed if the researchers fail to meet these assumptions.
2. Limited sample size: MR studies typically require large sample sizes to detect small effect sizes. However, the availability of suitable genetic variants may limit the sample size, particularly for infrequent exposures or outcomes.
3. pleiotropy: Pleiotropy occurs when a genetic variant affects multiple phenotypes, which can lead to biased estimates of causal effects. MR studies use multiple methods to detect and explain pleiotropia, but a potential problem remains.
4. Reverse causality: MR assumes that exposure precedes the genetic variant, but this may not always be the case. For example, a genetic variant associated with a disease may also affect exposure, leading to reverse causality.
5. Generalizability: MR studies can suffer from limited generalizability. The genetic variants used as instrumental variables may not be present in all populations or may be irrelevant to all results.
6. multiple check: MR studies often test different hypotheses simultaneously, increasing the risk of false positive results. Adequate correction for multiple tests is necessary to ensure the reliability of the results.

Of course, we cannot let philosophy, as we know, stand in the way of Science™.

As the lead author says, “From a scientific perspective, these results are exciting because they suggest that there may be new drug targets and mechanisms that we can explore to control this pathway in the future.”

Cannabis use increases the risk of disease?

Mendelian randomization (MR) studies can provide evidence of causal relationships between exposure and an outcome. But they cannot prove causality in the same way as a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

RCTs are the gold standard for determining cause and effect. Researchers typically combine MR studies with other study designs, such as B. RCTs to provide more robust evidence of causality.

Does Cannabis Increase Your Chances Of Getting CHD By 34%? It’s possible, but this study is inconclusive.

Consider what else increases your risk of CHD:

• Diets high in trans fat: A diet high in trans fat, commonly found in processed and fried foods, has been associated with an increased risk of CHD.

• High-sugar diet: A diet high in added sugars, such as those found in sugary drinks and processed snacks, can increase the risk of CHD.
• Smoking: Smoking damages the lining of blood vessels, which can lead to atherosclerosis, which is a major contributor to CAD.
• Physical inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of CHD, while regular physical activity reduces the risk.
• Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of CHD, especially if the person has excess weight around the waist.
• High blood pressure: Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of CHD.

The corporate press will run with the headline “Cannabis Increases CHD Risk” until their faces turn blue.

But addressing obesity as a major contributor to heart disease and other health problems? This is fat shaming.

Telling people to cut out refined sugar? Practice? A healthy diet high in saturated fat from grass-fed meat or avocados?

No, far too many special interests are involved in making sure we eat crap and get sick from it.

Best to blame cannabis.