Cannabis use disorder was not linked to cardiovascular events overall but was associated with higher in-hospital mortality
In a national database of nearly 40,000 hospitalized patients, cannabis use disorder was not significantly associated with cardiovascular events or cardiac arrhythmias, but was linked to significantly higher in-hospital mortality.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 39,992 hospitalized subjects from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2019), cannabis use disorder was not significantly associated with cardiovascular adverse events (p=0.257), cardiac dysrhythmias (p=0.481), or hospitalization costs (p=0.481) after controlling for other variables. However, CUD was significantly associated with higher in-hospital mortality (p<0.0001).
Key Numbers
39,992 subjects from NIS 2016-2019. Cardiovascular events: p=0.257 (not significant). Cardiac arrhythmias: p=0.481 (not significant). Hospitalization cost: p=0.481 (not significant). In-hospital mortality: p<0.0001 (significant).
How They Did This
Retrospective study using the National Inpatient Sample database (2016-2019). 39,992 subjects classified by presence of cannabis-related disorder diagnosis. Multivariable regression controlling for covariates.
Why This Research Matters
The dissociation between cardiovascular events (no significant association) and mortality (significant association) is puzzling and suggests cannabis use disorder may increase death risk through non-cardiovascular pathways, or that confounders not captured in administrative data are driving the mortality finding.
The Bigger Picture
This study challenges the narrative that cannabis primarily threatens cardiovascular health, finding no significant association with cardiac events. The mortality finding requires further investigation to understand what mechanisms might be responsible.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative database with ICD coding limitations. Cannot determine cannabis dose, frequency, or route. CUD diagnosis may represent a different population than general cannabis users. Cannot determine cause of death to understand the mortality association.
Questions This Raises
- ?What causes the mortality association if not cardiovascular events?
- ?Is the mortality finding driven by other comorbidities associated with CUD that were not fully controlled?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- No cardiovascular event link but significant mortality association
- Evidence Grade:
- Large national database with multivariable adjustment, though administrative data and inability to determine cause of death limit interpretation.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study
- Original Title:
- The effects of cannabis use on major adverse cardiovascular outcomes, mortality, cost of hospitalization, and cardiac arrhythmias: A Retrospective analysis using the national inpatient sample.
- Published In:
- Current problems in cardiology, 49(11), 102788 (2024)
- Authors:
- Elsadek, Rabab, Ismail, Zeeshan, Al-Ani, Hashim, Loseke, Isaac, Fikry, Mona, Meadows, Robyn, Zentko, Suzanne, Curry, Bryan
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05293
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mean cannabis is safe for the heart?
The study found no significant association between CUD and cardiovascular events in hospitalized patients, but other studies have found cardiac associations. The mortality finding adds complexity. More research is needed.
Why might mortality be higher without more cardiovascular events?
The study did not determine cause of death. Higher mortality could reflect non-cardiac factors like respiratory issues, accidents, interactions with other conditions, or residual confounding from substance use patterns associated with CUD.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05293APA
Elsadek, Rabab; Ismail, Zeeshan; Al-Ani, Hashim; Loseke, Isaac; Fikry, Mona; Meadows, Robyn; Zentko, Suzanne; Curry, Bryan. (2024). The effects of cannabis use on major adverse cardiovascular outcomes, mortality, cost of hospitalization, and cardiac arrhythmias: A Retrospective analysis using the national inpatient sample.. Current problems in cardiology, 49(11), 102788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102788
MLA
Elsadek, Rabab, et al. "The effects of cannabis use on major adverse cardiovascular outcomes, mortality, cost of hospitalization, and cardiac arrhythmias: A Retrospective analysis using the national inpatient sample.." Current problems in cardiology, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102788
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The effects of cannabis use on major adverse cardiovascular ..." RTHC-05293. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/elsadek-2024-the-effects-of-cannabis
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.