A 45-year-old with no traditional risk factors developed recurrent peripheral artery disease linked to 20 years of daily marijuana use
A 45-year-old man required three vascular surgeries for peripheral artery disease despite having no diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol, with his only identifiable risk factors being 20 years of daily marijuana and alcohol use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Recurrent severe PAD requiring multiple bypass surgeries in a patient without traditional cardiovascular risk factors; daily marijuana and alcohol use for 20 years were the only identifiable risk factors; arterial Doppler showed severe occlusion in multiple leg arteries.
Key Numbers
45-year-old male; 20 years daily marijuana and alcohol use; 3 vascular surgeries (2017 bypass, 2018 revision, current bypass); severe occlusion of superficial femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis arteries.
How They Did This
Case report of a 45-year-old male presenting with left leg pain and severe atherosclerotic disease requiring femoral-tibial bypass; history of two prior vascular surgeries; 20 years of daily marijuana and alcohol use.
Why This Research Matters
This case illustrates that chronic cannabis use may be an underrecognized risk factor for peripheral artery disease, particularly in younger patients without classic cardiovascular risk factors.
The Bigger Picture
Marijuana's vascular effects (endothelial dysfunction, inflammation) are increasingly recognized, and clinicians should consider chronic cannabis use when evaluating unexplained early-onset peripheral vascular disease.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report; concurrent alcohol use makes it impossible to attribute findings to marijuana alone; no control comparison; case reports cannot establish causation.
Questions This Raises
- ?What proportion of early-onset PAD may be attributable to cannabis use?
- ?Is the mechanism primarily endothelial dysfunction or arterial inflammation?
- ?Would cessation prevent disease progression?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Three vascular surgeries by age 45 with no traditional risk factors beyond chronic marijuana and alcohol use
- Evidence Grade:
- Single case report provides a clinical illustration but cannot establish causation, particularly given concurrent alcohol use.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025
- Original Title:
- Recurrent Peripheral Artery Disease in a 45-Year-Old Male Without Hypercoagulable Comorbidities.
- Published In:
- Cureus, 17(7), e89057 (2025)
- Authors:
- Cohen, Adi, Cohen, Jessica, Cordeiro de Oliveira, Igor, Anasseri, Sheela, Ahmed, Faryal, Cherner, Rebecca
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06242
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can marijuana cause artery disease?
This case cannot prove causation, but the patient developed severe peripheral artery disease at a young age with no traditional risk factors beyond 20 years of daily marijuana and alcohol use, suggesting chronic cannabis may contribute.
What happened to the patient?
He required three vascular surgeries over several years for recurrent arterial blockages in his legs, including two femoral bypass procedures and a graft revision.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06242APA
Cohen, Adi; Cohen, Jessica; Cordeiro de Oliveira, Igor; Anasseri, Sheela; Ahmed, Faryal; Cherner, Rebecca. (2025). Recurrent Peripheral Artery Disease in a 45-Year-Old Male Without Hypercoagulable Comorbidities.. Cureus, 17(7), e89057. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.89057
MLA
Cohen, Adi, et al. "Recurrent Peripheral Artery Disease in a 45-Year-Old Male Without Hypercoagulable Comorbidities.." Cureus, 2025. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.89057
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Recurrent Peripheral Artery Disease in a 45-Year-Old Male Wi..." RTHC-06242. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/cohen-2025-recurrent-peripheral-artery-disease
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.