Researchers at the University of Bern have been looking at data from a 25-year study, and have concluded some interesting things about what really causes clogged arteries
The researchers noted that clogged arteries in long-term cannabis users only applied to those who mixed their cannabis with tobacco. And while, scientists have long-known that tobacco smoke is associated with atherosclerosis, there has been little clarity regarding whether cannabis smoke does the same.
The decades-long study, conducted by an International team, analyzed 3,498 men and woman who took part in the US‐based Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
Professor Auer from the University of Bern said in a press release, “We knew the effect of tobacco smoke, but not of marijuana smoke on subclinical plaque build-up in heart arteries (a marker of future heart attacks). We sought to determine the association between lifetime exposure to marijuana and measures of plaque build-up in mid-life.”
The researchers found a strong link between tobacco smoke and plaque in arteries, but the same rule did not apply to regular middle-ages cannabis smokers who never used to tobacco.
Meanwhile, co-author of the study, Stephen Sidney, concluded, “Our study confirms the strong and consistent association between tobacco use and plaques build-up. The broader public health implications of high prevalence of tobacco use among marijuana users is alarming.”
While the research is not water tight, it did look at a substantial number of test cases and as it was a 25-year ongoing study, it also has time on its side. However, it still remains to be seen what connection there is, if any, between smoking cannabis and blocked arteries.
[Image Credit: Pixabay]
