The rising trend from 2007 to 2018 was most pronounced in three groups: ages 18 to 34, men and African Americans, according to findings being presented this Sunday at the American Heart Association’s virtual Scientific Sessions conference.
They identified people 18 to 49 who had been hospitalized for a heart attack and whose records showed a previous diagnosis of cannabis use disorder.
A 2019 study published in JAMA Psychiatry showed the disorder increased slightly among 12- to 17-year-olds and people 26 and older from 2008 to 2016.
Although previous studies suggested a link between cannabis use and heart attack, this adds to the evidence, said Robert Page, a professor of pharmacy at the University of Colorado in Aurora.
“These data add to the body of literature that there is a red flag with cannabis use in young adults,” said Page, who was not involved in the new study.
Because the study is observational and didn’t control for use of other substances such as tobacco, alcohol or cocaine, the research can’t be used to show a direct cause.
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