Cannabis Use Disorder Showed No Significant Link to Atrial Fibrillation in Young Men After Accounting for Confounders | Research

The takeaway

In a large propensity-matched analysis of over 216,000 young men without tobacco use, cannabis use disorder was not significantly associated with atrial fibrillation hospitalizations, though a trend toward higher odds was observed.

Cardiologists, young cannabis users concerned about heart health, and researchers studying cannabis cardiovascular effects.

No significant association between cannabis use disorder and atrial fibrillation (OR 1.27, P=0.15)

What the researchers found

After propensity matching 108,495 young men in each arm (CUD+ vs CUD-) and adjusting for covariates including other substance abuse, the association between cannabis use disorder and atrial fibrillation hospitalizations was non-significant (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 0.91-1.78, P=0.15). The CUD+ cohort had higher rates of anxiety and COPD but lower rates of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Why it matters

By excluding tobacco users, this study attempts to isolate cannabis's independent cardiovascular effects. While the trend toward higher AF odds (27%) did not reach significance, the pattern and the racial disparity in AF rates among cannabis users warrant further investigation.

The numbers in context

108,495 matched patients per arm; OR 1.27 (95% CI: 0.91-1.78, P=0.15); CUD+ had higher anxiety (24.3% vs 18.4%), COPD (9.8% vs 9.4%); lower hyperlipidemia (6.4% vs 6.9%), hypertension (5.3% vs 6.3%)

How the study worked

Propensity-matched analysis using weighted discharge records from the 2019 National Inpatient Sample, comparing AF-related hospitalizations in young men (18-44) with and without cannabis use disorder, excluding those with tobacco use disorder.

What this study cannot tell us

Administrative database with ICD coding limitations. Cross-sectional design. Cannot determine cannabis dose, frequency, or method of use. Only examined men. Exclusion of tobacco users may bias toward a healthier cannabis-using population.

How to read the evidence

Large propensity-matched analysis but cross-sectional, administrative data with coding limitations.

When this study was published

Published in 2024 with 2019 NIS data.

The bigger picture

Cannabis's cardiovascular effects remain debated. This study's null finding after excluding tobacco is important because many earlier studies finding cardiac associations may have been confounded by concurrent tobacco use.

Questions still open

Would a larger study with more statistical power detect a significant association?
Why did Black patients with CUD show higher AF rates?

Common questions

Does cannabis cause heart rhythm problems?

This study found no significant link between cannabis use disorder and atrial fibrillation in young men when tobacco was excluded, though a non-significant trend was observed.

Why exclude tobacco users?

Many cannabis users also use tobacco, which independently affects heart health. By excluding tobacco, researchers tried to isolate cannabis's independent effect.

Read the original research

Association of cannabis use disorder with atrial fibrillation in young men without concomitant tobacco use: Insights from nationwide propensity matched analysis.

World journal of experimental medicine, 14(3), 93742

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Patel, Bhavin; Khadke, Sumanth; Mahajan, Kshitij; Dhingra, Avleen; Trivedi, Rishika; Brar, Samrath Singh; Dixit, Sakshi; Periwal, Vaibhav; Chauhan, Shaylika; Desai, Rupak. (2024). Association of cannabis use disorder with atrial fibrillation in young men without concomitant tobacco use: Insights from nationwide propensity matched analysis.. World journal of experimental medicine, 14(3), 93742. https://doi.org/10.5493/wjem.v14.i3.93742