Eight Marijuana Users Had Heart Attacks at an Average Age of 40, and Half Had Few or No Other Risk Factors
A case series of 8 patients with 10 ST-elevation heart attacks associated with marijuana use found most were young minority males, and half had minimal or no cardiovascular risk factors beyond cannabis.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Over four years at an inner-city hospital, researchers identified 8 patients (10 total events) who had ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) associated with marijuana use. The mean age was 40.1 years, ranging from 26 to 59.
The demographic profile was striking: 9 of 10 cases were male, and 8 were Black, reflecting the patient population of the urban hospital. Most concerning, 3 of 10 cases (30%) had no known cardiovascular risk factors at all on admission, and 2 had only a single risk factor. This means half of the marijuana-associated heart attacks occurred in people who would not typically be considered at risk.
All patients had angiographic evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease, and peak troponin levels were high (mean 93.5 ng/ml), indicating substantial cardiac damage.
Key Numbers
8 patients, 10 STEMI events. Mean age: 40.1 years (range 26-59). 9 male, 1 female. 30% had zero CVD risk factors. Peak troponin: mean 93.5 ng/ml. All had obstructive coronary disease on angiography.
How They Did This
Retrospective chart review of patients presenting with STEMI and positive cannabis use at a single inner-city hospital coronary care unit from December 2013 to April 2017.
Why This Research Matters
Heart attacks in young people with few risk factors demand explanation. This case series adds to growing evidence that marijuana use may be an independent cardiovascular risk factor, particularly concerning given that many users and clinicians do not consider cardiac risk when assessing cannabis use.
The Bigger Picture
As marijuana use increases with legalization, understanding its cardiovascular profile becomes more important. While this case series cannot prove causation, the pattern of heart attacks in young patients with few traditional risk factors is consistent with marijuana acting as a trigger or contributor to acute coronary events.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Case series without a control group cannot establish causation. The temporal relationship between marijuana use and STEMI was not precisely characterized. Single inner-city hospital with a specific patient demographic. Selection bias: patients at this hospital may not represent all marijuana-associated cardiac events. Cannabis was self-reported and not necessarily verified by blood testing.
Questions This Raises
- ?What mechanism links marijuana to acute coronary events?
- ?Is it vasospasm, increased oxygen demand, platelet activation, or something else?
- ?Does the method of consumption (smoking vs. edibles) affect cardiac risk?
- ?Should cardiac screening be recommended for heavy marijuana users?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 30% of marijuana-associated heart attack patients had zero known cardiovascular risk factors
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary evidence from a small, single-center case series without controls.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2017. Cannabis-cardiovascular research has expanded since.
- Original Title:
- Clinical Characteristics and Angiographic Findings of Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated With Marijuana Use: Consecutive Case Series.
- Published In:
- SciFed journal of cardiology, 2(1) (2017)
- Authors:
- Sharma, Navneet, Lee, Justin, Aponte, Carla Saladini, Marmur, Jonathan D, Lawson, William E, Mann, Noelle N, Salifu, Moro O, Youssef, Irini, McFarlane, Samy I
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01517
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can marijuana cause a heart attack?
This case series found heart attacks associated with marijuana use in relatively young patients, many with few other risk factors. However, a case series cannot prove causation. The evidence suggests marijuana may be a contributing factor or trigger, but more rigorous studies are needed to establish a definitive causal link.
Who is most at risk for marijuana-related cardiac events?
Based on this small series, the patients were predominantly young males. However, the study cannot identify specific risk factors that make some marijuana users vulnerable to cardiac events while others are not. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were absent or minimal in half the cases, which is concerning.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01517APA
Sharma, Navneet; Lee, Justin; Aponte, Carla Saladini; Marmur, Jonathan D; Lawson, William E; Mann, Noelle N; Salifu, Moro O; Youssef, Irini; McFarlane, Samy I. (2017). Clinical Characteristics and Angiographic Findings of Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated With Marijuana Use: Consecutive Case Series.. SciFed journal of cardiology, 2(1).
MLA
Sharma, Navneet, et al. "Clinical Characteristics and Angiographic Findings of Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated With Marijuana Use: Consecutive Case Series.." SciFed journal of cardiology, 2017.
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Clinical Characteristics and Angiographic Findings of Acute ..." RTHC-01517. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/sharma-2017-clinical-characteristics-and-angiographic
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.