Study: Using Marijuana Can Weaken Heart Muscles
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (CBS) -- A new study finds that using marijuana can weaken heart muscles.
Medical Daily reports that researchers from St. Luke's University Hospital Network in Bethlehem analyzed 33,000 patients who were suffering from stress cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome," from 2003 to 2011.
Researchers found that 210 patients used marijuana before experiencing symptoms of stress cardiomyopathy. The patients were typically younger men and they were also more likely to go into cardiac arrest and require an implanted defibrillator.
"The effects of marijuana, especially on the cardiovascular system, are not well known yet," study author Dr. Amitoj Singh, the chief cardiology fellow at the St. Luke's University Health Network, told Medical Daily in a statement. "With its increasing availability and legalization in some states, people need to know that marijuana may be harmful to the heart and blood vessels in some people."
Researchers believed that marijuana users were twice as likely to develop "broken heart syndrome" than non-users as they concluded that marijuana can increase the risk of stress cardiomyopathy, according to Medical Daily.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, stress cardiomyopathy "is a condition in which intense emotional or physical stress can cause rapid and severe heart muscle weakness."
"If you are using marijuana and develop symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath, you should be evaluated by a health care provider to make sure you aren't having stress cardiomyopathy or another heart problem," Singh told Medical Daily in a statement.
The preliminary research was presented at the American Heart Association Meeting.
