Young adults with cannabis use disorder had higher rates of hypertensive crisis hospitalizations
Young adults with cannabis use disorder were more likely to be hospitalized for hypertensive crisis and had higher odds of death, arrhythmia, and stroke during those hospitalizations.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Young adults (18-44) with cannabis use disorder had 15% higher odds of hypertensive crisis hospitalization compared to those without (aOR 1.15). During those hospitalizations, they had 5.7 times higher odds of death, 73% higher odds of arrhythmia, and 46% higher odds of stroke.
Key Numbers
Propensity-matched cohort: 4,440 patients, median age 36, 64.2% male, 64.4% Black. All-cause mortality OR 5.74, arrhythmia OR 1.73, stroke OR 1.46.
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (October 2015-December 2017) with propensity-score matching to compare outcomes between young adults with and without cannabis use disorder admitted for hypertensive crisis.
Why This Research Matters
As recreational cannabis use grows, understanding its cardiovascular risks in young adults is important for clinical awareness and screening.
The Bigger Picture
The association between cannabis use disorder and hypertensive crisis was partially explained by concurrent cocaine and stimulant use, highlighting the importance of polysubstance patterns.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Retrospective database study cannot establish causation. Cannabis use disorder does not capture frequency, potency, or route of use. ICD coding may misclassify patients.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does cannabis directly contribute to hypertensive crisis, or is this driven by associated substance use patterns?
- ?Would these cardiovascular risks apply to occasional cannabis users?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 5.7x higher odds of death during hypertensive crisis hospitalization
- Evidence Grade:
- Large national database with propensity matching, but retrospective design and inability to control for unmeasured confounders limit causal inference.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022 using 2015-2017 hospital data.
- Original Title:
- Hypertensive Crisis-Related Hospitalizations and Subsequent Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Young Adults with Cannabis Use Disorder: A Nationwide Analysis.
- Published In:
- Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 58(10) (2022)
- Authors:
- Desai, Rupak(6), Jain, Akhil(2), Sultan, Waleed(2), Gandhi, Zainab, Raju, Athul Raj, Varughese, Vivek Joseph, Jnaneswaran, Geethu, Agarwal, Charu, Rizvi, Bisharah, Mansuri, Zeeshan, Gupta, Puneet, Kumar, Gautam, Sachdeva, Rajesh
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03801
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Was cannabis the direct cause of the hypertensive crises?
The study found an association, not causation. The link between cannabis use disorder and hypertensive crisis was partially explained by concurrent cocaine and stimulant use.
How severe were the outcomes?
Young adults with cannabis use disorder who had hypertensive crisis hospitalizations had 5.7 times higher odds of dying, 73% higher odds of arrhythmia, and 46% higher odds of stroke compared to matched patients without cannabis use disorder.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03801APA
Desai, Rupak; Jain, Akhil; Sultan, Waleed; Gandhi, Zainab; Raju, Athul Raj; Varughese, Vivek Joseph; Jnaneswaran, Geethu; Agarwal, Charu; Rizvi, Bisharah; Mansuri, Zeeshan; Gupta, Puneet; Kumar, Gautam; Sachdeva, Rajesh. (2022). Hypertensive Crisis-Related Hospitalizations and Subsequent Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Young Adults with Cannabis Use Disorder: A Nationwide Analysis.. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 58(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58101465
MLA
Desai, Rupak, et al. "Hypertensive Crisis-Related Hospitalizations and Subsequent Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Young Adults with Cannabis Use Disorder: A Nationwide Analysis.." Medicina (Kaunas, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58101465
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Hypertensive Crisis-Related Hospitalizations and Subsequent ..." RTHC-03801. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/desai-2022-hypertensive-crisisrelated-hospitalizations-and
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.