A 27-year-old had a heart attack after smoking cannabis, requiring coronary stent placement | Research

The takeaway

A 27-year-old man with no traditional risk factors except cannabis use developed an acute heart attack with significant coronary artery narrowing, requiring stent placement with good recovery.

Cardiologists, emergency physicians, and clinicians evaluating chest pain in young adults.

Heart attack in a 27-year-old after cannabis use requiring coronary stent

What the researchers found

The patient developed ST-elevation myocardial infarction on anterior and inferior ECG leads following cannabis consumption. Coronary angiography revealed significant stenosis of the left anterior descending artery. PCI with stent implantation resulted in good clinical outcomes.

Why it matters

This case adds to the growing literature linking cannabis use to coronary events in young patients, emphasizing the importance of asking about cannabis use in young patients presenting with chest pain.

The numbers in context

Patient age: 27. ECG: ST elevation anterior and inferior leads. Finding: significant LAD stenosis. Treatment: PCI with new-generation stent. Outcome: good clinical evolution.

How the study worked

Case report documenting clinical presentation, diagnostic workup (ECG, coronary angiography), treatment (PCI with stent), and outcomes.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case report. Coronary heredity mentioned as additional risk factor. Cannot definitively prove cannabis caused the event. No long-term follow-up reported.

How to read the evidence

Single case report with complete cardiac workup and intervention.

When this study was published

Published in 2022.

The bigger picture

Cannabis-associated myocardial infarction in young adults without traditional cardiovascular risk factors represents an important diagnostic consideration in the era of increasing cannabis use.

Questions still open

Does cannabis trigger coronary vasospasm, promote atherosclerosis, or both? How frequently should young cannabis users be screened for cardiac risk?

Common questions

Can cannabis cause a heart attack in young people?

This case documents a heart attack in a 27-year-old following cannabis use, with significant coronary artery narrowing requiring stent placement. While rare, cannabis-associated cardiac events in young adults are increasingly reported.

What happened to the patient?

After receiving a coronary stent in the narrowed artery, the patient recovered well with good clinical outcomes.

Read the original research

Cannabis-induced myocardial infarction in a 27-year-old man: Case report.

Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 80, 104054

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Aissaoui, Hanane; Boulouiz, Soumia; El-Azrak, Mohammed; Bouchlarhem, Amine; Elouafi, Noha; Bazid, Zakaria. (2022). Cannabis-induced myocardial infarction in a 27-year-old man: Case report.. Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 80, 104054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104054