New studies seem to only add more confusion over the health
properties of marijuana. In a presentation of the American Stroke Association,
researchers from the University of Auckland in New Zealand found that smoking
marijuana increased the risk of having a stroke. Yet, research published in the
American Heart Journal said that
marijuana smokers were no more likely to die than people who had not smoked
cannabis. Barber said, “We know cannabis can cause
changes in blood pressure and heart rate that are associated with increased
stroke risk. Importantly, it can also cause heart palpitations, [a sign of
atrial fibrillation]. And atrial fibrillation is very strongly associated with
stroke.” Dr. Murray Mittleman of Harvard Medical School led a study. It followed
almost 4,000 heart attack survivors for up to 18 years to investigate patterns
between marijuana use and heart attack patterns.109 of the participants had
smoked marijuana at least once in the year before they were hospitalized.
During the study, 510 patients died which included 22 marijuana users. The
study did not find a relationship between the amount of cannabis used and the
risk of death. However, earlier research found that an hour after smoking
marijuana is associated with a two to five fold increase in the risk of a heart
attack. Overall, the findings from the studies highlight the confusing state of
marijuana research.
The author, Maia Szalavitz, references two studies. She also
tells some about a presentation of the American Stroke Association by the University
of Auckland in New Zealand. Also, findings from the American Heart Journal are given. She gives some info on strokes
and smoking. Szalavitz also quotes Dr. Alan Barber the lead author of the
University of Auckland. This article is more to inform people. People
interested in health might be interested in this.
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