Smoking marijuana my increase risk of heart attack Smoking marijuana significantly increases the risk of a heart attack for middle-aged and elderly users during the first hour after using the drug, researchers reported on 2 March. They said they were not sure whether the marijuana itself or other components of smoke such as carbon monoxide were responsible for it. The study by Dr. Murray Mittleman, a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of cardiovascular epidemiology at Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Centre, and colleagues were being presented at an American Heart Association (AHA) conference in San Diego. The heart attack risk was 4.8 times higher during the first hour following marijuana use than it was during times of non-use. In the second hour, the relative risk dropped to 1.7. "These effects may pose significant risk, especially in people with unrecognised coronary disease," Mittleman said. Mittleman's research team collected information from 3,882 people who had heart attacks. Of that group, 124 were identified as current marijuana users, including 37 who said they smoked the drug within 24 hours before their heart attack and nine who reported smoking pot within an hour of their first symptoms. The increased risk is nowhere near what is seen with other drugs -- like the 25-fold spike in heart attack risk from cocaine -- and may not even be as dangerous as taking a jog might be for a sedentary person. But, Mittleman, says, "The risk is there. It's real." Other studies have shown that younger marijuana smokers are not at a greater risk for heart attacks. (Sources: Reuters of 2 March 2000, UPI of 2 March 2000, AP of 2 March 2000) Thanks to ACM bulletin of March 2000 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.