This plant has been proven to relieve pain and give pleasure on top of many other health benefits.
Millions of people consume this plant regularly.
However, a new study presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions 2023 Scientific Sessions reveals a dark side to this plant.
Apparently, consuming it regularly can lead to blocked arteries, causing stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 50 million Americans have reported using marijuana at least once, marking an increase in its usage in recent years.
While many studies have explored the effects of marijuana on health, very few have been conducted specifically to examine its effects on the health of our blood vessels.
Scientists do know that cannabinoids, including marijuana, can raise our heart rate and make our hearts pump harder in the hours just after use, but research is scarce on how it affects users, including on days when they don’t use it.
This lack of information caught the attention of the research team, led by scientists from Hackensack University Medical Center, and they wanted to find out whether there was a relationship between marijuana and cardiovascular health.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs, leading to possible complications such as loss of mobility, heart attack, and stroke.
They obtained information from the National Inpatient Samples between 2016 and 2019, including people with PAD, people who identified as marijuana users, and people who had received peripheral blood vessel treatment.
The average age of the 30 million patients was 37.4. Of the 30 million patients, 623,768 admitted to being marijuana users, and 2,424 had been diagnosed with PAD.
The study’s results showed that marijuana users were 3.68 times more likely to develop PAD than non-users.
The PAD symptoms to look out for include pain in your legs while walking, a lack of hair growth, and a cold feeling in your arms and legs.
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