Extensive studies prove that marijuana can cause stress cardiomyopathy

  • comments
  • print
  • email
Nov 16, 2016 02:16 PM EST

Marijuana can be far more life threatening than cigarettes!  It can develop the risk of stress cardiomyopathy by double; new study releases results.

Stress cardiomyopathy is a sudden life-threatening weakening of the heart muscle. The study report can be a shock for marijuana fans who excitedly embrace the idea of "entertainment pot" considering weed as a completely harmless.

What is Stress Cardiomyopathy?

Stress cardiomyopathy is caused by physical stressors, such as strokes, seizures, breathing difficulties or heavy bleeding. Emotional stress is also a huge contributing factor. That is why it is widely known as "broken heart syndrome."

Medical News Today reports from Johns Hopkins Heart and Vascular Institute, the symptoms of this heart condition are quite similar to those of a heart attack and the most noticeable of them are dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. This is caused by the inability of the heart muscle to pump blood temporarily.

However, stress cardiomyopathy does not kill any heart cells; instead, it stuns them for a short period of time, using adrenaline and other hormones.

As a result, recovery from broken heart syndrome is fast and leaves the heart free of any permanent damage.

Shocking results of Marijuana Use

Weed has an increased risk of heart stroke right after being consumed. A study on rodents in 2016 revealed that one minute exposure to marijuana smoke leaves the heart impaired for 90 minutes which way longer than tobacco smoke's effects.

The study examined the occurrence of stress cardiomyopathy during the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions and discovered that the temporary damage happens to the tip of the heart.

According to a report by Health Day, Amitoj Singh at St. Luke's University Health Network in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, led a nationwide search of hospital database. He discovered more than 33,000 people with stress cardiomyopathy were admitted to the hospital from 2003 to 2011.

From these, 210 were marijuana users and were twice as much vulnerable to develop stress cardiomyopathy.

Surprisingly, young men were at higher risk and more susceptible to fall prey to cardiac arrest. The number of marijuana-linked cardiomyopathy patients particularly increase every year. In 2007 they were 17, in 201176, and with recent legalization the number is going to shoot up much faster, warned Singh.

Join the Conversation
Real Time Analytics