Marijuana linked to increased risk of heart problems: Study

More than two million adults with heart conditions report that they have used or are currently using marijuana, according to a new study.

Observational studies have linked marijuana use to a range of cardiovascular risks, including stroke, arrhythmia and diseases that make it hard for the heart muscle to pump properly, said the researchers.

"Marijuana use, both recreational and medical, is increasing nationally yet many of its cardiovascular effects remain poorly understood," said lead author Ersilia M DeFilippis from Columbia University in the US.

"In our National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) query, we estimated that two million adults with marijuana use had cardiovascular disease in 2015-2016. Since that time, additional states have passed legislature related to marijuana so its use may have increased even further," DeFilippis added.

"Notably, many of our cardiology patients are on medications that can interact with marijuana in unpredictable ways depending on the formulation. This highlights that we need more data so that we can better counsel providers as well as patients," DeFilippis said.

For the findings, published in the journal Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers, including one of the Indian-origin, conducted a query of data from NHANES to estimate marijuana use among US patients with cardiovascular disease.

They estimated that two million (2.3 per cent) of the 89.6 million adults who reported marijuana use had cardiovascular disease.