Loading...
Marijuana use is associated with significant hemodynamic effects, including increases in heart rate and changes in blood pressure, but whether its use increases MI risk is unclear. In this multicenter study, researchers interviewed 3882 patients who suffered acute MI between August 1989 and September 1996. A case-crossover design was used to compare frequency of marijuana use just before MI onset with expected frequency based on each subject's normal pattern of use. Compared with marijuana abstainers (mean age, 62), marijuana users (mean age, 44) were more likely to be male, current tobacco users, and obese -- and less likely to have histories of angina or hypertension.
In total, 124 patients (3.2 percent) reported smoking marijuana within 1…