Looking at Heart Risks in Young Pot Users

Marijuana use may increase heart problems in young adults, especially if they are already at risk, authors of a small study say. The study was based on reports to a drug-abuse surveillance program in France. Doctors are required to report drug-abuse cases linked with serious health problems. Researchers looked at data for 2006 through 2010. In those years, 35 reported cases involved heart or blood vessel problems among marijuana users. The average age was 34. Nine of the 35 died. Nearly half had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or some other factor that increased their risk of heart disease. During the study years, heart disease cases rose from 1.1% to 3.6% of all reported problems in marijuana users. The cases included 20 heart attacks or symptoms indicating a strong risk of immediate heart attack.