Marijuana may up heart attack, stroke risk

[shaunmulok]

Heavy marijuana use may increase a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke, US government researchers say; activists disagree with the findings.

Heavy marijuana use can boost blood levels of a particular protein, perhaps raising a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke, US government researchers say.

Dr Jean Lud Cadet of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, said the findings point to another example of long-term harm from marijuana. But marijuana activists expressed doubt about the findings.

Cadet said a lot of previous research has focused on the effects of marijuana on the brain.

His team looked elsewhere in the body, measuring blood protein levels in 18 long-term, heavy marijuana users and 24 other people who did not use the drug.

Levels of a protein called apolipoprotein C-III were found to be 30 percent higher in the marijuana users compared to the others. This protein is involved in the body's metabolism of triglycerides — a type of fat found in the blood — and higher levels cause increased levels of triglycerides, Cadet added.

High levels of triglycerides can contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, raising the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

The study did not look at whether the heavy marijuana users actually had heart disease.

A U.S. group supporting legal sales and regulation of marijuana disputed the findings. Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Bruce Mirken said, for example, the study involved people who were extremely heavy users.


"I think the low end was 78 joints a week. That's 10 or 11 joints a day," Mirken said in a telephone interview.


"We're talking about people who are stoned all the time. We're talking about the marijuana equivalent of the guy in the alley clutching a bottle of cheap wine.



If you do anything to that level of excess, it might well have some untoward effects, whether it's marijuana or wine or broccoli," Mirken added.

For the full story click here.

 

[!!!]

As always, no mention whether the strain is indica or sativa, or what the cannabinoid levels are in the strain they tried. Worthless study until these very important factors are taken into account.

How are they really scientists if they don't even know what the subjects are smoking exactly?

It would make more sense to have each group try a separate cannabinoid via vaporization and maybe one that smokes joints, to see what exactly causes this issue.

 

[Haps]

Cannabis use does effect the heart and blood pressure, but will not cause a heart attack. I toked up the morning before I went in for my heart surgery, while I was having a heart attack, no worries, so no fucking expert is telling me shit, especially when they draw and publish conclusions then admit they did not check the study participants for actual heart disease. Pure horsecrap.

Hazes will fuck your bp up if you have heart disease, but you will get to feeling bad and stop toking before it kills ya, trust me.
H

 

[SeniorBuzz]

which reminds me that I should probably be checking my blood pressure now that I am vaporizing on a regular basis

I take 3 BP medications

if anything was going to catch up with me now........

 

[vta]

which reminds me that I should probably be checking my blood pressure now that I am vaporizing on a regular basis

I take 3 BP medications

if anything was going to catch up with me now........

Check it when your medicated and when your not, morning, mid day and nite...I bet you get different readings, take that info and consider the times you take the pb meds...then you will be better able to figure out a plan to keep it low.

 

[superbolan]

11 joints a day? that reminds of the study that said diet sodas made you fat, of course fat people drink diet sodas more than thin people so duh. I had a friend who did research for the government and they told them before they did a study what they wanted to prove. More weapons of mass distraction from politrickans

 

[HippyJohnny]

November approaches... lets refine the public "education".

Give the appearance of science that reinforces that real American studies are being conducted....

Moms all filed this away to lecture one more of the evils of the "Devil Weed".

Mom is the key voter that will be "educated".

 

[treewizard]

Wow 18 whole subjects and they didn't even bother with looking at actual heart attack and stroke #'s in the heavy Cannabis using population. That's some really strong science!

 

[Leon Brooks]

tax dollars at work.

GO AMERICA!!!!

 

[superbolan]

and they were they tobacco smokers as well? are there families genetically predisposed to these issues, thats not a study is an advertorial

 

[baan]

Ok. Well I call upon the amazing blood pressure lowering and vasodilation properties of cannabis to remedy that problem.

 

[cronicle]

its funny now that we are getting closer to freedom,they use scare ads. Half the food sold on supermarket shelfs will destroy you way more than what they are bullshiting us about.

 

[armedoldhippy]

the more outlandish their damned lies get, the better i feel about the chance for legalization in my lifetime. what is next? "smoking pot will make your children be born naked & unable to walk, drive, or hold a job" govt scientists now claim!" latest headline from the Daily BSer...

 

[KarmasWheele]

I dont understand why most of you are finding this to be fraudulant.....Most scientific studies happen without goverment funding espically thoses pretaining to mmj.....therefore its perfectly understandable why many other related tests were not conducted pretaining to heart disease cannabonoid levels etc....I am a heavy smoker and know for a fact that my heavy use of marijuana has contribuated to my high blood pressure.....I know this wont be a popular answer but....I choose to educate through truth....so it very rarely sounds all pretty.....Through my independant research I find the more sativa influence in the strain.....the more it will affect blood pressure

 

[IWanaGetHiSoHi]

KW-That may be the Truth for you and those 18 stressing out, triglyceride peaking, bipolar maniacs that need to smoke 10-11 joints a day ... my BP is fine . I'm betting weed wasn't the only substance those individuals partook in ... the only qualifications for those types of studies is that you're in the age group and that you consider yourself a Heavy Smoker. That = Fraud in my book. If Sativas fuck with your Heart Rate and BP then Don't Smoke Sativas ... That's some Education through Truth for ya.

 

[igrowone]

I dont understand why most of you are finding this to be fraudulant

not so much fraudulent, but a study size of 18 is not going to get a lot of respect
this is tiny to the point of absurdity
and the dosing seems to be primarily anecdotal, heavy users telling you how much they are smoking?
there is no rigor here, a clinical study will have controlled dosing

 

[justanotherbozo]

I dont understand why most of you are finding this to be fraudulant.....Most scientific studies happen without goverment funding espically thoses pretaining to mmj.....therefore its perfectly understandable why many other related tests were not conducted pretaining to heart disease cannabonoid levels etc....I am a heavy smoker and know for a fact that my heavy use of marijuana has contribuated to my high blood pressure.....I know this wont be a popular answer but....I choose to educate through truth....so it very rarely sounds all pretty.....Through my independant research I find the more sativa influence in the strain.....the more it will affect blood pressure

it's nothing more than government propaganda, very
definately NOT science, too small a sample and too few
controls.

as to you're own experience, well, it's purely anecdotal
so of limited value.

...and educating through 'truth', as you say, is fine
assuming you KNOW the truth.

you can 'prove' anything you want to if you ignore evidence
that contradicts your intended goal.

if you want to read some actual truth, real science, not
government bullshit, this is the place to look.
https://www.icmag.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=1422&topicid=1

(most of us know already that sativas will give
you a racier buzz so it's no surprise that it affects blood
pressure)

 

[KarmasWheele]

wow 2 masters of the obvious in a row......
im not bi polor or use any other drugs....
Ive been a heavy daily smoker for 25 years.....
My proof is ME....
sorry blind sheep......I know you like to think that weed is GOOD for you.....It's not.......And it's no cure all either.......
Fact: smoking weed is bad for you.....aids in respotory failure and heart complications......causes more harm to your body than it helps......eyyy yei yei ........are there legit.medical applications? sure.....but you need to get off your pedestal......and realise.....
smoking weed will kill you faster than not smoking. I can and do absolutly believe it leads to increase in high bp and other heart conditions.........Or YOU PROVE that it dosent ok hypocrites

 

[cannagirl]

its funny now that we are getting closer to freedom,they use scare ads. Half the food sold on supermarket shelfs will destroy you way more than what they are bullshiting us about.

they dont only sell that food in the grocery stores, they push that crap on our children everyday in schools and slam the TV with ads directed towards kids for crap food. Yet they are worried about MMj use and bp and heart disease? Maybe they should start paying attention to heart disease, obesity, bp issues and diabetes type 2 (which until recently was only showing up in adults) that are showing up in children as young as age 5.

I dont believe or even consider any MMJ studies done by the Federal Govt, they tend to be full of horse shit fear and tax payer dollars, but real substantiated facts, are no where to be found, as per usual!

 

[KarmasWheele]

good post cannagirl......I agree with most....but studies are being conducted....and there are facts out there.....My opnion stands though......