Cannabis Use Linked to Lower Heart Attack Risk in UK Biobank, Similar to Red Wine | Research

The takeaway

In a large UK cohort, marijuana use was associated with a 15.6% reduction in heart attack incidence, comparable to the protective effect seen with red wine.

People interested in cannabis and heart health, cardiovascular researchers

OR 0.844 for MI with marijuana use

What the researchers found

Multivariate logistic regression found marijuana use associated with reduced MI risk (OR 0.844), comparable to red wine consumption (OR 0.847). The analysis controlled for cigarette pack-years, diabetes, sex, BMI, hypertension, and age.

Why it matters

Previous evidence on cannabis and heart attack risk has been mixed. Finding a protective association comparable to red wine in a large cohort challenges the assumption that cannabis only poses cardiovascular harm.

The numbers in context

Marijuana use OR 0.844 for MI; red wine OR 0.847 for MI; MI incidence decreased with marijuana use (P<0.001)

How the study worked

Retrospective analysis of UK Biobank data examining myocardial infarction incidence by marijuana use status, with red wine consumption as a comparator. Multivariate logistic regression controlled for standard cardiovascular risk factors.

What this study cannot tell us

Observational study cannot prove causation. Self-reported marijuana use. Could not control for all potential confounders. The "stress reduction" hypothesis for the mechanism is speculative.

How to read the evidence

Large UK Biobank cohort with multivariate controls, but observational design and self-reported use limit causal conclusions.

When this study was published

Published in 2022

The bigger picture

The 2017 National Academy of Sciences report found only limited evidence linking acute cannabis use to MI risk. This large cohort adds data suggesting the relationship may actually be protective, though the mechanism is unclear.

Questions still open

Is the apparent protective effect due to stress reduction, anti-inflammatory properties, or unmeasured confounders? Would the association hold in populations with different baseline cardiovascular risk?

Common questions

Does marijuana protect against heart attacks?

This observational study found an association between marijuana use and lower MI incidence (OR 0.844), but it cannot prove marijuana caused the reduction. The researchers speculated stress reduction might play a role.

How did marijuana compare to red wine for heart protection?

The protective associations were nearly identical: marijuana OR 0.844 versus red wine OR 0.847 for heart attack risk.

Read the original research

Marijuana and Myocardial Infarction in the UK Biobank Cohort.

Cureus, 14(2), e22054

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Lehrer, Steven; Rheinstein, Peter H. (2022). Marijuana and Myocardial Infarction in the UK Biobank Cohort.. Cureus, 14(2), e22054. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22054