Study finds marijuana users to be thrice more likely to develop peripheral artery disease

Of the 30 million patients identified, 623,768 were diagnosed as marijuana users. Patients had an average age of 37.4 years, equal distribution across genders, were more likely to be white and more likely to be elective admissions. Of these patients, 2,424 (0.38%) were also diagnosed with PAD. Marijuana users were at more than three times the risk of developing PAD (OR= 3.68, p<0.001) but had no statistically significant increased risk for mortality or requiring percutaneous intervention (p<0.001).

“With the increase in marijuana use in the U.S., our findings show that users should be aware of the symptoms of PAD such as leg pain while walking, slower or no hair growth and feelings of coldness in the leg,” said Hirva Vyas, DO, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ and lead author of the study. “We know PAD is a progressive disease that can drastically impact quality of life, making ongoing monitoring of this patient population critical.”

Authors note that based on study results, vigilant monitoring for disease screening and progression should be initiated earlier in the outpatient setting in addition to cessation counseling.

Reference:

SOCIETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR ANGIOGRAPHY AND INTERVENTIONS,MEETING SCAI Scientific Sessions,ORIGINAL SOURCE: https://scai.org/media-center/news-and-articles