A new study has found that smoking cannabis can make you twice as likely develop a rare heart condition that can weaken the heart muscles temporarily.
This rare heart condition is also known as stress cardiomyopathy. It can also appear as a heart attack, resulting in shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, and even fainting.
These symptoms are caused by the heart's reduced ability to pump out blood which is usually temporary. However, medical experts warn that this can be indicative of serious health problems.
In this new study, scientists say that those who use cannabis are more likely to experience an episode of stress cardiomyopathy compared to non-users. They are also significantly more likely to suffer from cardiac arrest or abnormal heart rates due to cannabis intake.
According to the co-author of the study, Amitoj Singh from the St. Luke's University in Pennsylvania, unfortunately, the effects of marijuana on our cardiovascular system are not well known yet.
During the study, researchers examined data from 33,343 people living in the United States who were hospitalized due to stress cardiomyopathy during 2003 to 2011.
Active cannabis users were determined via urine test or from the information given by the patient. Upon calculating risk factors along with this data, cannabis users are found to be almost twice more likely to develop stress cardiomyopathy than non-users.
Apart from this, marijuana users are also more likely to possess a history of anxiety disorder, depression, alcoholism, multiple substance abuse, and even psychosis.
Singh said that those who use marijuana and experience chest pain and shortness of breath should immediately visit a health care provider for evaluation to make sure that this is not stress cardiomyopathy or another serious heart problem.