A young woman had a heart attack shortly after using synthetic cannabis | Research

The takeaway

A case report described a young woman who presented with an anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction (heart attack) shortly after using synthetic cannabis, highlighting the cardiovascular dangers of these potent compounds.

Emergency physicians evaluating young patients with chest pain; cardiologists; harm-reduction educators.

Young woman with acute STEMI shortly after synthetic cannabis use

What the researchers found

A young woman presented to the hospital with an anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) shortly after using synthetic cannabis.

ST elevation myocardial infarction is a serious type of heart attack involving complete blockage of a coronary artery.

The temporal relationship between synthetic cannabis use and the cardiac event was notable, as the patient was young and otherwise not in a typical demographic for heart attacks.

The case report highlighted the cardiovascular risks of synthetic cannabinoids, which are far more potent than natural cannabis and can cause coronary vasospasm, arrhythmias, and direct cardiac toxicity.

Why it matters

Heart attacks in young women are rare, and when they occur shortly after synthetic cannabinoid use, the temporal association strongly suggests a causal link. Synthetic cannabinoids can cause severe coronary vasospasm even in people with no pre-existing heart disease.

The numbers in context

Young female patient. Anterior STEMI. Temporal onset shortly after synthetic cannabis use.

How the study worked

Single case report with clinical documentation of STEMI following synthetic cannabis use.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case report. Limited clinical details available in the abstract. Cannot definitively prove the synthetic cannabis caused the MI versus being coincidental.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary. Single case report with limited clinical detail in the abstract.

When this study was published

Published in 2018. Cardiovascular events from synthetic cannabinoids have continued to be reported.

The bigger picture

Synthetic cannabinoids have been linked to an increasing number of cardiovascular events including heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac death. Unlike natural cannabis, synthetics are full agonists at cannabinoid receptors with unpredictable potency, making cardiac events more likely.

Questions still open

Which specific synthetic cannabinoid was involved? What is the mechanism of synthetic cannabinoid-induced myocardial infarction? How many young cardiac events go unrecognized as synthetic cannabinoid-related?

Common questions

Can synthetic cannabis really cause a heart attack?

Yes. Synthetic cannabinoids are full agonists at cannabinoid receptors, much more potent than natural THC. They can cause severe coronary artery spasm, dangerous heart rhythms, and direct heart muscle toxicity, all of which can trigger heart attacks even in young people without pre-existing heart disease.

Is natural cannabis safer for the heart?

Natural cannabis carries some cardiovascular risk, but synthetic cannabinoids are substantially more dangerous due to their much higher potency and unpredictable effects. The cardiovascular risk profile is qualitatively different between the two.

Read the original research

Acute myocardial infarction triggered by use of synthetic cannabis.

Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 31(2), 200-202

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Mills, Brooke; Dishner, Emma; Velasco, Carlos E. (2018). Acute myocardial infarction triggered by use of synthetic cannabis.. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 31(2), 200-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2017.1416243